A Devil's Diamond
by Mugiwara N0 Luffy
Summary: Issei and Josuke expected life to be a lot simpler. That was until the day one of them was killed by a fallen angel. Now Issei has become the servant of a devil, and Josuke's coming along for the ride with him. Join these two as they go through a bizarre adventure together with Rias and her peerage. rating raised due to cursing and violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of either stories involved.**

Issei Hyoudou. A boy quite infamous for his perverse thoughts and actions toward women. A teen who dreamed of someday becoming what he dubbed 'The Harem King'. He was part of Kuoh Academy's 'Pervert Trio', and was considered an enemy to all women. Girls kept their distance, and boys taunted and teased him for still being without a girlfriend. Despite this, there was always one person that was considered his polar opposite. Someone who did not only look a bit abnormal in comparison, but was also his opposite in personality. Despite this, these two were the best of friends, and sometimes called each other brother. Who was this man, you ask?

Well, this man currently stood over the sleeping body of his best friend. He was tall, standing at a large six foot, which made him a giant in Japan. He had dark skin and was quite muscular. Despite these features, the most outstanding part of his look was his hair. It was a large pompadour, one that was well kept and constantly combed. It stuck out quite a bit, but the boy didn't care. In fact, he defended the pompadour to anyone, and quite violently at that. His name was Josuke Higashikata.

"Oi~, Issei. It's time to get up." Josuke whisper shouted, his hand cupped as he called out to him. The boy in question grumbled something incoherent as he grabbed his blanket and pulled it over his face. Josuke sighed before giving a devious smirk. He dropped his school bag onto the ground before turning around and jumping right on top of Issei's stomach, causing him to gasp in shock and pain.

"Oi, pervert! Get your ass up! It's time for school." Josuke laughed as he settled in his seat and grinned down at his friend.

"D-damn it, Josuke! Stop doing that! You're a lot heavier than you look!" Issei complained tiredly as he tried to push the giant off of him. The larger of the two refused to move and shrugged.

"You wouldn't wake up. So I figured this was the best way to get you up." Josuke explained simply.

"I bet you didn't even try that hard to wake me up, asshole!" Issei barked in irritation.

"Well, I called out your name once. After that, I tried this. And what do you know, it worked!" Josuke laughed again with a goofy teasing grin.

"Bastard! Get off!" Issei complained. Josuke laughed for a bit longer before finally hopping off of him.

"Hurry up and get ready. I don't wanna be late." Josuke told him, grabbing his clothes and throwing it in the brunette's face.

* * *

The two friends, now both up and ready to go, walked to school together as they often did. Issei seemed quite glum, making Josuke raise a brow in question before nudging him with his elbow.

"What's your problem, man? You still crying about the wake-up call?" Josuke asked, but received a head shake and a sigh.

"Josuke, why did we join Kuoh Academy?" Issei asked out of the blue, causing the much taller of the two to blink.

"I joined because you joined, I know that much." Josuke shrugged as he glanced away in thought. "And you joined because… something about the girls?"

"Of course! The main reason I joined was because it used to be an all-girl school!" Issei proclaimed loudly, causing Josuke to flinch at the volume of his voice. "In other words: this was my chance to obtain a harem!"

"Oh, yeah. Because that's the main reason any guy joins Kuoh Academy, apparently." Josuke muttered with an eye roll.

"You don't get to talk on such matters!" Issei growled as tears started to form in his eyes. "While me and the others have been sitting in the nosebleeds, you've been given front row seats with almost any girl in the school! You bastard!"

"It's not like I ask them to follow me around, okay?" Josuke growled back, nudging him with his elbow. "Besides, a harem isn't exactly something I want anyway! I'm more of a romance kinda guy!"

"Oh, is that right? Then tell me, who was the last girl you've ever 'romanced'?" Issei asked, making quotation marks with his fingers. Josuke opened his mouth to answer before the answer quickly came to mind. He shoved his hands in his pockets and stuck his bottom lip out in irritation.

"Shut up. I just haven't met the right girl yet, okay?" Josuke pouted, turning away from the admitted pervert.

"See?! You're just shy around girls! You have so many opportunities, but they're wasted on you!" Issei argued, making the pompadour spotting teen narrow his eyes.

"Oh, is that so? Hey, how's that harem plan of yours going, Issei? When was the last time you got to actually fondle some breasts like you're oh so happy to do?" Josuke retorted, causing Issei to gape dumbly.

"Th-that's cold, dude! It's already bad enough that I don't actually **have** a harem! You don't have bring up the fact I've yet to touch the sweet mounds of heaven..." Issei whined, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Why don't you focus on getting **one** girl before a bunch of them instead? One out of hundreds are bound to find you somewhat entertaining." Josuke chuckled, happy that he was able to turn the tables.

This was often how their chats would go. They bickered quite a bit, but it was always in good fun. They very rarely had a real fight with each other, and when they did they would always make it up to one another somehow. They had been friends since childhood, and were nigh inseparable. Motohama and Matsuda would sometimes tease the two and say that they were in a secret relationship with how close they were, which usually made both boys gag in disgust.

"Oi, Issei Hyoudou!" The two heard a gruff voice call out from behind them. They glanced back to see several upper-classmen stalking toward them. Issei and Josuke glanced at each other in question before the brunette spoke up.

"Uh, yeah. That's me. Is there a problem?" Issei asked curiously. The seniors continued to move forward in a very aggressive manner, causing the pervert to slightly recoil in fear until the man upfront grabbed his shirt and pulled him face to face. He was an obnoxious looking man, and he was slightly taller than Issei though still shorter Josuke.

"You bastard! You and your pervert friends were peeking on my girlfriend in the locker room! You got some balls pulling a stunt like that, asshole!" The senior barked in anger. He glanced at Josuke who seemed to be watching the scene neutrally. "Hey, retard. Were you one of the assholes who were peeking?"

"Nope, I wasn't. That was him and the rest of the pervert trio." Josuke immediately dismissed, waving his hand in front of him.

"Oh gee, thanks Josuke! You're such a big help!" Issei complained as he struggled in the bully's grip. "L-look, buddy. I wasn't peeking in on your girlfriend! I was peeking on all the girls!"

"Is that supposed to be better? Screw that, asshole. I haven't even seen my girl naked, why should some random pervert?!" The jealous boy cried out, cocking his arm back to punch. Issei grinded his teeth in fear, holding up his arms to try and block. Before he could get hit, though, Josuke quickly pulled Issei from the senior's hands. He quickly followed up by clapping his hands together and bowing in apology.

"Please forgive my friend for his actions! He and his friends are large perverts and cannot help themselves!" Josuke proclaimed rather loudly, causing the senior and his friends to recoil a bit in surprise. He glanced back at Issei who he had pushed behind him and nodded toward the seniors. "Go ahead and apologize."

"O-oh! Um, sorry!" Issei quickly said, bowing down like Josuke. He glanced at Josuke and narrowed his eyes. "What the heck are you doing, dude?" he whispered.

"Keeping you from getting your ass kicked, that's what." Josuke whispered back.

"I don't want your stupid apologies!" The senior barked after recovering from his initial surprise. "If you don't wanna get beat along with him, then you'd best get out of our way!" he growled before backhanding Josuke across the face. The pompadour teen didn't flinch, despite the blood that now dripped from the edge of his mouth.

"Josuke!" Issei gasped before glaring daggers at the senior. "You jerk! He had nothing to do with-"

"Sorry, but I can't move! I apologize!" Josuke exclaimed again, causing Issei to pause. "He's my friend, and I'd rather things didn't get out of hand!"

"Josuke…" Issei muttered in awe, always finding his friends cool head to be quite cool. That was all about to evaporate with the senior's next words.

"I guess we'll have to kick in that crappy haircut too, then." The boy growled. Immediately Issei paled at his words, his jaw dropping in shock. A dark aura started to surround Josuke, the dark skinned boy looking up at the man in front of him with an ominous smile.

"Hey, senpai. What did you just say about my hair?" Josuke asked dangerously. The senior recoiled slightly in surprise, Josuke's sudden mood change throwing him off.

"You **really** shouldn't have said that about his hair…" Issei muttered, taking a step back from Josuke.

"Wh-what? What's going on? Y-you wanna fight now?" The older teen growled, holding up his fists defensively. Josuke only stood up at full length, the hair on top of his pompadour standing up straight. Without even making a move, though, the senior was struck by an unseen force, bloodying his nose and knocking several of his teeth loose.

"Gin-san!" One of his friends cried out in shock.

"Did he hit him? I didn't even see him move!" Another exclaimed shakily.

"Yo-you bastard!" the boy named Gin mumbled as he tried to regain his wits. Suddenly his mouth and teeth suddenly formed back into their normal state, almost as if nothing had happened. "Wh-what the hell?!"

"I'll give you this one break, asshole." Josuke suddenly said, crouching in front of Gin and leveling a dark glare at him. "Issei's a perv, so I get why you're mad. But if you come back lookin' for a fight with him again, or I hear you even **mutter** some shit about my hair, you'll deal with me. And trust me when I say you won't get off so easy. Got it?"

"Wha-I don- **wha?!** " The senior sputtered in confusion and fear. His friends quickly grabbed Gin and pulled him away.

"This is weird, man! Let's get out of here!" One of them screamed. Gin didn't hesitate to listen, and the three took off toward the school. Issei moved back into step next to Josuke.

"That went well…" Issei muttered. "We still need to figure out what that is." What the senior students were unable to see when Gin was hit was a large fist. It was pink with silver armor, and it was twice the size of a human arm. Josuke had been able to summon this 'arm' since he was very young. No one was able to see it save for him. No one except Issei, that is. Neither boy knew what it was or how it was connected to Josuke, but were able to figure out that the dark skinned boy was in control of it for the most part. At first they thought it was their collective imagination, but when Josuke had struck someone during a fight with the invisible fist, they had confirmed it was real.

"Well, at least you didn't end up getting your ass kicked." Josuke shrugged with a chuckle.

"Were you planning to fight if it came down to it even if they didn't say anything about your hair?" Issei asked curiously.

"Yeah, probably. I mean, come on. They would have torn you apart." Josuke teased, making Issei narrow his eyes indignantly.

"No way, man! I coulda taken one guy!" Issei complained, only receiving a laugh in response from his tall friend.

"Issei. You're one of the worst fighters ever. I doubt it." Josuke retorted easily, making the smaller brunette grumble in irritation. With that, the two finally headed toward school.

* * *

"Thank you for letting him off easy, girls!"

The time was now after school. Issei had different final classes than Josuke, and so they had been separated during the day. Since he was with Motohama and Matsuda, the Pervert Trio decided to take a trip to the girls Kendo Club locker room for a quick peek and run. Of course, being who they were, the boys spent more time than they should have peeping. When they were finally noticed, it was Issei who was left by himself to face the heat. He received a beating for his troubles, but luckily for him, Josuke had guessed what the Pervert Trio was up to, and came to his aid. He was able to talk the girls down and cut Issei's punishment short thanks to his popularity with girls.

"No problem, Josuke-kun! Feel free to come by again!" The kendo club leader said as she waved goodbye to the tall boy. Josuke waved back with a smile before turning to Josuke with narrowed eyes.

"Seriously? You almost get jumped this morning for peeking, and you're already doing it again?" Josuke asked in slight disbelief, shaking his head in disappointment.

"Josuke, it's me. You know a couple of beatings will never stop me from taking a peek at the heavenly bodies of women!" Issei proclaimed proudly, pounding his fist into his chest.

"Your determination would be cool if it weren't so disgusting…" Josuke muttered while rolling his eyes. The two quickly met up with Matsuda and Motohama by the old school building, who were relaxing in the shade.

"Oh hey, Josuke! Did you end up saving Issei again?" Motohama teased as he and Matsuda laughed at the brunettes dilemma.

"Yeah, thanks for ditching me, guys. You're a big help." Issei grumbled indignantly.

"You just have bad luck, it's not our fault." Matsuda laughed with a shrug.

"If I had gotten to at least see some boobs, I wouldn't complain! But you guys were hogging it the whole time!" the brunette barked in irritation.

"You guys are unbelievable…" Josuke muttered, rubbing his forehead tiredly. When he heard Issei gasp, he raised a brow in question before following his line of sight. Above them in the window of the old school building was a beautiful woman with pale skin and crimson hair. It waved in the breeze out the window, making it apparent how long and beautiful it was. Josuke was nothing like the Pervert Trio, but there was no denying her beauty.

"I guess there are still people in the old school building, huh?" Matsuda muttered as they watched her turn away from the window and leave their sight.

"Isn't that one of the popular girls?" Josuke asked curiously, holding his chin in thought.

"Rias Gremory. President of the Occult Research Club." Motohama declared, causing the tallest boy to glance at him curiously. "Rumors are that her family comes from Europe."

"She's so friggin' hot…" Issei muttered quietly, his face in a sort of dream state.

"Yeah, she is…" Josuke agreed before closing his eyes. "But being one of the popular girls, she's probably a snob, don't you think?"

"Who cares about that kind of stuff?! Her body is what matters!" Issei growled quickly, a fire burning in his eyes.

"Alright, alright. Geez…" Josuke mumbled, holding his hands up in defense.

* * *

Issei and Josuke waved goodbye to Motohama and Matsuda, for they both lived right next to each other and usually walked home together. As the two crossed over the stone path above the street, Issei came to a stop and let out a depressed sigh.

"What's wrong with you, now?" Josuke asked, leaning against the side rail.

"I'm afraid that my time at Kuoh Academy is going to go wasted without once laying my hands on a nice rack…" Issei complained, leaning over the railing with half his body.

"Don't you ever think about anything else?" Josuke deadpanned with a sweat drop forming on the back of his head.

"Well…" Issei trailed off before smirking up at Josuke. "... I do think you suck every time I kick your ass in a video game." Issei taunted with a smile, causing the taller boy to flinch.

"Now that was just a low blow…" Josuke mumbled bitterly. The two stared at each other seriously for a moment before finally laughing the moment off. "Come on, man. Let's go get some dinner. I'm starving."

"Sounds good." Issei agreed as he moved to follow him.

"Um… excuse me…" The two heard a frail voice, causing them to turn around. They saw a girl with long flowing black hair and beautiful white skin. She had a rather shy look on her face, casting her glance downward as she spoke. She wore a school uniform that both boys were unfamiliar with. "You are Issei Hyoudou-kun, correct?"

Josuke and Issei glanced at each other in question, both shrugging to say that neither knew the girl. "Y-yeah, that's me." Issei announced.

"O-oh, good then. I wanted to ask you something private, if you don't mind…" She said quietly. She glanced up at Josuke who blinked before finally getting the picture.

"Hey man, I'm gonna wait for you at the bottom of the stairs." Josuke said smoothly, patting Issei on the shoulder.

"O-oh, okay then…" Issei muttered as he watched the larger teen leave.

Josuke walked down the steps and moved over to a nearby tree where he could watch Issei and the mystery girl from a distance. He couldn't hear what they were saying, and could only guess what this was about. _She looked pretty nervous. There's no way that she was actually…_ Josuke trailed off thoughtfully. Suddenly Issei made a quick jerk reaction in shock before he nodded hesitantly. The girl suddenly smiled at the brunette and said something incoherent from the distance Josuke was at. The two then exchanged numbers, causing Josuke to widen his eyes in shock. He watched the two finally separate, with Issei weakly waving goodbye and standing there for a while after the girl left. After a few moments, Issei zoomed down the stairs at unbelievable speeds and got right in Josuke's face.

"J-Jo-Josuke, you will never **believe** what just happened!"

"Calm down, man. What is it?" Josuke asked as he held up his hands to keep the boy from getting too close.

"I… have a girlfriend now!"

Josuke stared at Issei for a long time before finally gaping in shock. " **What?!** "

* * *

"Wh-what is this?" Matsuda muttered.

"No way…" Motohama gaped.

The two of the Pervert Trio could not believe their eyes. Next to Josuke and Issei walked a very beautiful girl, and she was not running away in disgust.

"Hey, guys! This is Amano Yuuma-san. Yuuma-san, these are my other friends Motohama and Matsuda." Issei introduced smugly, enjoying their reactions as they could not even utter a word in response. Josuke chuckled from the side, fully expecting the two to act like this. When he had first heard about the girl from Issei, Josuke was almost as shocked as them, but for different reasons. After getting over it, though, he was more than happy for his friend's fortune of finding a girl.

"Nice to meet you!" Yuuma said with a kind smile.

"By the way, so you know…" Issei whispered to the two as he smiled confidently. "She. Is. My. Girlfriend."

"You just can't keep from rubbing it in their noses, huh?" Josuke chuckled quietly as he watched the two make small sounds of disbelief.

"Well, you guys should get girlfriends of your own too. Let's go, Yuuma-chan!" Issei said, motioning for the girl to follow him.

"Coming! It was nice meeting you both." Yuuma said before bowing to both boys and rushing off to follow Issei. Josuke gave a teasing smile as he walked after Issei and Yuuma, feeling no need to add to their pain.

Later that day, Josuke had left for home on his own. He wanted to give Issei a chance to get to know Yuuma a bit more. From the small encounter he had with her, Josuke could only assume she was a nice girl. Outside of that, he could not say much else on the matter. But that was not his job, anyway. It was up to Issei to figure out what kind of girl she was.

So now, Josuke was sitting at home and playing video games as he often did when he was by himself. Usually he would either go to Issei's to hang out or vice versa, but every now and then one of them was busy or grounded and couldn't kick it together.

"Come on, damn it! I just need to get to the next level!" Josuke growled as his fingers pounded away at the controller. Suddenly he heard his cell phone ring, causing him to glance at his phone. In that spare moment, his character died and caused him to fail the mission. "Damn it!" He grumbled before grabbing his still ringing phone. He saw that it was Issei and picked it up.

"Thanks, man. You just killed me." Josuke said as he answered the phone, causing Issei to laugh from the other side.

" _It's alright, you were probably going to die anyway."_

"Shut up, you don't know." Josuke retorted sourly. "So what's up? You still hanging out with Yuuma?"

" _Nah, we just said goodbye to each other. But guess wha~t…"_ Issei told him. Josuke waited silently for him to answer, but it seemed like Issei was waiting for him. _"Hey, I said guess!"_

"She already broke up with you?" Josuke finally answered with a teasing smirk despite the fact that he couldn't see Issei at the moment.

" _Wh-what?! No! We're going on a date, you jerk!"_ The brunette sputtered indignantly, making Josuke laugh.

"Well, good for you. You somehow managed to keep a girl for more than one day. That's way longer than I was expecting." Josuke taunted further.

" _Shut up!"_

"So when's your date supposed to be?" Josuke said, deciding to change the subject.

" _O-oh, it's this sunday. We're supposed to meet around noon to go shopping. I'm so excited~!"_ Issei declared happily, making Josuke roll his eyes.

"So I'm guessing we'll have to skip movie night, then?" Josuke asked curiously. The two had a usual ritual of seeing a crappy movie on sunday's together. Motohama and Matsuda did not understand it themselves, and usually never went. It was just something the two had done since they were smaller.

The mention of movie night made Issei slightly hitch his breath, Josuke guessing that he suddenly realised what day sunday was. "Hey, man. If you got a date, then don't worry about it. We'll just see it next Sunday or something." Josuke reassured him.

" _N-no, that's alright! Our date should be over by then! So we should still be able to see a movie later that night!"_ Issei declared, making Josuke pause, uncaring that he died in the game again.

"Are you sure, man? This is your first girlfriend, so I don't wanna intrude here." Josuke asked, surprised by Issei's reaction.

" _Josuke, we promised that a woman would never come between us, didn't we?"_ The brunette pointed out, causing the pompadour spotting teen to blink. _"Well, I intend to stick to that promise. I'm sure Yuuma-san will understand."_

"Issei…" Josuke muttered before he felt some manly tears coming on. "Shit, saying stuff like that and acting cool… You're just a pervert! Stop acting all high and mighty!" Josuke exclaimed while sniffling.

" _I may be a pervert, but I'm a man as well! Men stick to their promises!"_ Issei declared determinedly through the phone.

"Issei!"

" _Josuke!"_

The two continued on like this for another minute, crying manly tears of bromance and friendship. This was one of those moments that many would question what kind of relationship these two really had with each other. Usually they would have stopped had someone intervened, but left to their own devices, their moments together sometimes lasted a bit longer than they should have.

"So, anyway…" Josuke said as he cleared his throat and tried to act normal. "I'll meet you at the usual spot, then?"

" _Yeah, I'll walk with Yuuma-san to the fountain and part ways with her there. Just give me a half hour gap before you come. You never know if she might want to… you know…"_ Issei trailed off, chuckling dreamily. Josuke rolled his eyes, knowing that he probably had one of his patented perverse faces on.

"Yeah, yeah. I gotcha. I'll be show up a bit late. Just remember that if you want to spend some more time with her afterwards, just let me know before I leave." Josuke told him, receiving a grun of acknowledgement.

" _No problem. Try and find a really crappy movie for us to see! I have to go, so I'll catch you later!"_

"Great! See you tomorrow, then!" Josuke chuckled with a goofy grin.

* * *

Josuke yawned as he headed to the usual meeting spot in the park. He hoped he wasn't intruding on a moment between Issei and his girlfriend, but he had done as Issei asked and waited half an hour before leaving. He hadn't received any texts or calls telling him not to come, and ultimately just guessed that the two were still on for movie night. If Issei decided to bring his girlfriend in the end, Josuke wouldn't complain. For some time, he had been worried that a girl might actually come between the two friends, but Issei had assured him long ago that wouldn't happen. He knew things might not stay that way forever, but he was content with the fact that it wasn't happening now.

As Josuke was nearing the park fountain, he saw a bright red light shine through the trees. He blinked in surprise, looking around to see what it might be. _I guess that came from around the fountain…_ The dark skinned teen guessed, deciding to see what it was as he sped up his pace. He rounded the corner and quickly the fountain came into view. The first thing he spotted was a familiar head of red hair standing in front of the fountain, causing him to blink.

"That Rias chick, right…?" Josuke trailed off until his eyes landed on a figure on the ground. Immediately his heart stopped and his breath hitched. He immediately began to sweat and started to make small choking sounds as he tried to force words out. On the ground, there was Issei. He had a hole in his gut, blood gushing from his body and making a pool.

"I-Is-Iss.." Josuke choked out, his mind going numb and his heart heavy. He slowly stepped forward, and took no notice of Rias who turned in surprise as he approached.

"Y-You… You're his friend, right?" Rias asked. She was not expecting someone else to come, and guessed that he entered the park before the barrier was put up. Things were complicated enough with Issei, and now she had to deal with his friend.

" **Issei**!" Josuke cried out finally, rushing past Rias and quickly sliding to the ground next to his best friend. "Issei, wake up! Wh-what happened?! Come on, wake up! Issei!" He cried out, tears starting to fall from his eyes. Suddenly he thought of an idea, and brought forth the invisible arms from before. Rias widened her eyes in shock as she watched him, able to see the arms as well.

 _What was that? Does he have a Sacred Gear as well? I didn't even see it within him though…_ Rias mused thoughtfully. Much to her shock, the wound in Issei's stomach suddenly closed, and the blood returned to his body. _No, that's not a Sacred Gear… could it be..._

"Th-there you go, buddy. Come on! Get up, man! You're all healed up, so stop playing dead." Josuke laughed tearfully, shaking Issei lightly. Issei made no sound or movement, and didn't even breath. "I-Issei…?"

"I don't know what ability it is you used, but it's too late." Rias declared, causing the pompadour spotting teen to finally turn to her quickly. "I'm sorry, but he is dead. It looks like your ability restores the body to its original self, but you cannot return a soul back to its body."

"Wh-what?!" Josuke asked shakily, grinding his teeth and glaring at her. "Soul?! The hell are you talking abo-" Suddenly a thought came to Josuke. His expression became dark, and he set Issei back on the ground gently. "You… what the fuck did you do to **Issei?!** " He cried out. On instinct, the arms that formed around his body manifested into a full figure. Rias widened her eyes in shock as she saw a large body floating beside Josuke. It had a pink body with silver armor lining its body and head. With a roar, Josuke instinctively had it launch a large fist and Rias, who quickly dodged to the side before it hit. The impact was powerful, creating a large crater and kicking up dust.

"Such power…" Rias muttered as she tried to make distance between her and Josuke. The tanned skinned teen quickly chased after her, instinctively using the figure to launch himself forward after her.

 **DORA!** The figure cried out fiercely, cocking its arm back and throwing another punch. This time he ripped through a tree like it was nothing, Rias barely dodging to the side again.

"Its speed is no joke either." Rias declared as a small bead of sweat ran down her cheek. Josuke leveled a dark glare at Rias, for a moment standing completely still.

"Please stop this at once! I was not the one who did this to your friend." Rias declared, but Josuke didn't seem to be listening as he slowly stalked toward her, the large pink figure floating above him again and gripping its fist tightly. Rias considered attempting to disable him, but knew that he was in incredible pain. She instead stood there defiantly as Josuke approached, crossing her arms. He stood several meters away and had the monster cock its arm back to launch another strike.

"If you want your friend to live, you must control yourself." She declared as the fist came toward her. Right before it made impact, the fist stopped short at her words. Immediately the figure disappeared, leaving only Josuke to stare at her but none of his anger gone.

"You can bring him back to life?" Josuke asked quietly, glancing at his unmoving friend.

"I can, but it will cost him more than you might think." Rias explained cryptically. Josuke continued to stare at Issei's body. He gripped his hand tightly, so much so that his nails dug into his hand and caused him to bleed.

"Do what you have to do. He can't complain about it if he lives." Josuke sighed tiredly. Rias nodded and without another word she walked past Josuke, heading to Issei's body.

"I'm sure you have many questions for me. After I have restored his life, I'd like you to come with me. There is much to talk about." Rias declared, causing Josuke to only glance at her from the side.

"Good. Because the first thing I want to know is who killed my friend."

 _To be continued…_

 **Hello there, everyone! I hope you enjoyed my new story and the first chapter of it! I'm going to do my best to keep up with this one as well as my other stories. I've been really getting into Jojo's Bizarre Adventure lately and I loved the anime adaption of the first 3 arcs. After that, I read arc 4 and have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it.**

 **As you can tell, this story is set before the events of Arc 4, and instead of living in Morioh, Josuke lives as a next door neighbor, and obviously best friend, to Issei. Now before we go deeper into the story, I just want to say they are best friends, not anything romantic. I've come to expect people to ask such questions, so I just want to clear that up. They just have a rather epic bromance and are inseparable lol**

 **Now if you're wondering about the pairings situation, I'll say that Issei will probably still get the majority of girls, but I may give Josuke a few of his own. Like he said, he's a romance kinda guy and is not so interested in having multiple girls in the first place. He'll have to work into the idea if it happens. I don't really have a set one in mind for Josuke, so if anyone wants to give a recommendation for who he should get, feel free! Help me with the debate in my mind!**

 **Also, for you Jojo fans out there, you'll be happy to hear that while this will be mainly following the story of DxD, I will also be integrating the story of Arc 4 in as well. So look forward to seeing some awesome guest appearances :)**

 **Alright, that's it for the chapter! I hope you all enjoyed! Please leave a review and favorite for me!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of the stories involved**

 **I have to say… WOW! It's awesome to see such a big and good response to the first chapter of the story! I'm glad you all gave your thoughts and ideas for the story, so let me just say THANK YOU! I was afraid that because Jojo isn't as popular in America that people might pass this story by, but it looks like there are more Jojo fans than I expected, which makes me happy :)**

 **I was planning to respond to each review of the story, but… there were a lot more reviews than I was expecting, lol. So I'll answer the general questions that most asked from the reviews:**

 **First, Josuke's pairing situation: Now I did get a mixed response on this one, many want him with one, others want him to have his own, and I get that. That's the EXACT problem I'm having at the moment myself. I sort of want him to have several girls but I also know he's a romance kinda guy. No matter my choice in the matter, you should all know that it will develop naturally and will not be forced like Issei's pairings seem to be. You should all also know that I do not have ANY girls set for him at the moment. I do have one particular in mind, but other than that she's not set in stone either. I'll keep who to myself for now because it's still part of the big debate in my head.**

 **Second, Crazy Diamond's power: I am well aware of the power and speed difference between Stands and the usual Devil. I just didn't want Josuke to put a hole in Rias, and so we'll say that his inexperience with his Stand made it just lash out wildly and predictably enough for Rias to get out of its way. Crazy Diamond is faster than light and incredibly strong no doubt, it'll just take a bit of time for Josuke to use its full power. Though trust me when I say it won't take him long, and that someone's about to experience that this chapter :)**

 **Finally, Josuke remaining human: This part is also weighing on me a bit. Part of me wants to keep him human and remain as just a friend to the Occult Research Club. But another part of me knows that Josuke would also want to help out for the Ratings Game, after all whether or not Rias goes to Josuke, he is still her friend and would want to fight for her.**

 **Also to Chronotimeguard: Yeah, I wasn't planning to do a DxD story originally, but in my time working with Atillian King on Friends with a Pirate, I learned more of the story and so I'm finally getting around to making my own crossover with it lol.**

 **Also, I'd like to give thanks to Sir Gadot for editing this story for me. It really helps to have a beta reader for my story, because I know I'm not perfect with my grammar lol**

Chapter 2

Issei grumbled tiredly as his anime girl themed alarm rang. He weakly reached out and turned it off, not even bothering to look up. The anime themed girl was that of a yandere, a one eyed girl with a chainsaw spewing curses at him indirectly. "Man, that alarm gives me the weirdest dreams…" Issei muttered as he rubbed his head. He sat up in his bed and yawned before widening his eyes. The memories from the day before were a blur, but the so called 'dream' that came to his mind felt very real. _That's impossible, right?_

He suddenly heard light snoring from the corner of his room, causing him to jump in surprise. He blinked as he realized that Josuke was sitting against the wall in the corner of the room, his head leaning over and his arms crossed. Issei tilted his head in question, having no memory of seeing his best friend the previous day. He kicked his feet off his bed and slowly got up, walking over to Josuke and shaking him awake.

"Josuke, wake up." Issei said tiredly, lightly gripping his shoulder as he continued to shake him a bit. Josuke slowly blinked his eyes awake, yawning as he did so. He glanced up at Issei for a moment before his eyes widened in shock.

"Issei!" Josuke cried out happily, jumping up and grabbing the pervert by the shoulders and shaking him in return. "Are you feeling okay? How's your gut feel?"

"Wh-whoa, dude! Calm down! What's wrong with you?!" Issei asked in shock. Josuke blinked before his expression became firm and serious.

"Do you remember what happened to you last night, Issei?" Josuke asked gravely, causing the brunette to widen his eyes at his friend's mood change.

"Last night…?" Issei muttered as he tried to bring the night to thought. Images of his 'nightmare' flashed through his mind, and caused him to gain a headache. He groaned in pain, holding his forehead.

"You alright?" Josuke asked in concern.

"Yeah, just… having trouble remembering yesterday. I remember going on a date with Yuuma-chan, but after that…" Issei trailed off, trying to recall the rest of the day. Josuke grabbed his shoulder, shaking his head.

"Don't worry about it. Today, after school, there's someone we have to see. You'll get some answers then." Josuke explained before turning to leave the room. "Go ahead and throw some clothes on, we've gotta go to school."

"O-oh, okay then." Issei said, nodding tiredly.

* * *

" **What**?! You guys don't remember Yuuma-chan?!" Issei gaped. When he arrived at Kuoh Academy with Josuke, he had gone straight to Matsuda and Motohama. Even Josuke was shocked at this revelation, but had remained quiet throughout the conversation.

"I'm telling you, dude. We've never met a girl named Amano Yuuma and you've **definitely** never had a hot girlfriend that you introduced us to." Matsuda stated dryly, crossing his arms behind his back. The four were hanging out in one of the staircases of the school during lunch.

"That's impossible! Her email address and phone number are right here!" Issei exclaimed, pulling out his phone and searching through it. His eyes widened in shock as he discovered that all the information on the girl was gone. "That's so weird… her contact information and everything is gone…"

Josuke narrowed his eyes in suspicion, unsure of what could have happened as well. He suddenly felt a presence watching them, and glancing up the stairs he saw Rias Gremory at the top. Issei and the others soon caught on as well.

"W-whoa, Rias Gremory at twelve o'clock." Matsuda muttered quietly. Josuke only narrowed his eyes at the girl, making no comment as she started to descend toward them. The praises of admiring girls could be heard through the halls, showing the crimson haired girls popularity with both boys and girls. Josuke tightened his fist in frustration as she passed him, while she merely glanced at him seriously. As she passed Issei, though, she gave a small smile before continuing forward quietly. The brunette couldn't help but blush as he looked upon the school's princess.

"I'm saving that image for later." Matsuda said with a slightly dreamy expression.

"There's just something about her that makes her seem like some sort of goddess…" Motohama added as he watched her leave.

"The opposite, actually..." Josuke muttered quietly, causing the three to turn to him. He looked quite tired and irritated, causing the others to glance at each other in question.

"Is everything alright, Josuke?" Issei asked curiously. While things had been a bit strange for Issei himself, he couldn't help but notice Josuke's sour mood all day. The taller teen glanced back at Issei and forced a smile with a nod.

"Just tired, I guess. I'm fine, don't worry." Josuke said waving him off. Issei of course didn't look convinced, for he knew that whenever Josuke was hiding something or was upset, he didn't talk about it. That was a strange thing, in fact, for Josuke was always upfront with how he felt about something or someone.

"Well, back to Issei's imaginary girlfriend…" Matsuda teased, wrapping an arm around the brunette's shoulders. "I think you've been watching too much porn lately, it's starting to make you go crazy."

"Wh-what?! No, I'm telling the truth! I'm not crazy, I know what happened!" Issei immediately retorted defensively.

"Relax, man. Come by my place after school today, and we'll watch my treasured collection… of DVD porn!" Matsuda declared rather loudly, making several passing girls crinkle their noses in disgust.

"Geez, don't those guys do anything aside from jerking off?" One of them commented.

"So disgusting…" The other said. As they passed the group, they spotted Josuke and blushed slightly in nervousness. "H-hi, Josuke-kun!"

"Yo." Josuke said, waving politely as they walked by. The girls giggled in response before walking away. When the pompadour teen looked back at the pervert trio, Matsuda and Motohama were glaring daggers at him. "What?"

"Damn you, mister popular… you're not invited to watch porn with us." Matsuda grumbled bitterly, causing Josuke to roll his eyes.

"Oh yeah, because it's **not** weird for several guys to sit in a dark room together and watch porn, right?" Josuke asked with taunting smile. Matsuda and Motohama opened their mouths to protest, but after thinking about it for a few seconds, the two immediately clammed up. Josuke glanced at Issei, who looked fairly put off by the fact that no one remembered his girlfriend.

"Anyway, Issei can't join you after school. We have plans afterwards." Josuke spoke up, causing the brunette to turn to him in realization.

"Oh, man. Really? Oh well, I guess you're just going to have to miss out on some great porn, brother." Matsuda sighed, shaking his head in disappointment.

"It's still really weird that you guys do that…" Josuke muttered with a sweat drop. The lunch bell suddenly rang, signaling the beginning of the passing period.

"Alright, I guess we'll see you later then, Josuke. Come on, Issei. We can at least talk about some good tits during class." Motohama declared, patting the rather down looking Issei on the shoulder. The brunette sighed, turning to leave until Josuke grabbed his shoulder.

"She's real, Issei." Josuke suddenly said, causing the pervert to widen his eyes in shock. "Make sure you meet me at the old building after school, got it? You'll know everything then."

"J-Josuke, what are you…" Issei started, but looking at the teen's serious expression, he could tell Josuke was telling him to trust him. "A-alright then, I'll make sure to come by."

Josuke nodded before finally patting him on the shoulder and offering a smile. "Glad to see you're still yourself." The pompadour teen declared before walking off to his class. Issei raised a brow in question, unsure of what he meant by such a statement. Issei scratched his head, deciding to let it go and head to class.

* * *

"Josuke." Issei greeted as he arrived at the old school building. The taller teen had arrived before him, and was leaning against the building.

"Oh good, you're here. I was afraid tweedle dee and tweedle dum would convince to go with them or something." Josuke joked, standing up and uncrossing his arms.

"You seemed really serious about this, so I made sure they didn't drag me off." Issei chuckled a bit forcefully, his mood still a bit damp. In fact, neither boy seemed to be in a very good mood, but for good reason. Josuke only nodded before turning and opening the door to the old school building.

"Come on, we're meeting the Occult Research Club inside." The pompadour spotting teen declared, holding the door open for Issei to enter. The brunette nodded, going in first before being followed by Josuke. The hallway was a bit dark, but at the end of the hall a single door was lit by a faint reddish light. Issei couldn't help but wonder where they were heading, but Josuke seemed unfazed.

"That light seems kinda… bright, don't you think?" Issei asked, his eye twitching as they moved along.

"Bright? What are you talking about, it's pretty dim." Josuke asked, blinking in question. "In fact it's kinda dark in here."

"Is it?" Issei asked, glancing around the hall. "It's weird… it's as if I can see better in here then I did outside…"

Josuke went to a full stop, glancing back at Issei. His eyes were shaded by his hair, his expression hard to read, but he looked quite serious. It was very rare to see Josuke so serious, save for when someone insulted his hair. It surprised the brunette slightly, but suddenly Josuke continued forward again.

"Come on, she's waiting for us." Josuke said without looking back. Issei blinked for a moment at his reaction before slowly following after him.

"Wait, her…?" He muttered in question, but not audible enough for Josuke to hear, or at least he gave no answer. As the two were about to reach the door, it opened on its own, causing the two to stop. A young man appeared before them. He had short blond hair and pale skin with handsome features. Under his left eye was a small mole that many would say makes the boy look even more handsome. Both boys immediately recognized him as Yuuto Kiba, the most popular boy in school.

"Oh, good. It looks like you two were able to find your way here on your own. President just wanted me to go and fetch the both of you." Kiba stated with a kind smile.

"Wait- **Kiba**?! You're here too?" Josuke asked in shock, blinking in question. While he was not close friends with Kiba like he was with Issei, the two shared several classes together. "You're one like her?"

"Wh-what's the Casanova doing here?" Issei asked slightly bitter. While Josuke was popular with girls, Kiba was almost twice as big with girls.

"The President will see you both now, please come in." Kiba declared, standing to the side and letting the two enter. Issei glanced at Josuke in question, but the pompadour teen only shrugged. The two walked into a nice candle lit room, with several couches and a living room set. Issei immediately recognized a small white haired girl sitting on one of the couches. Her hair was short, barely reaching past her shoulders save several bangs. She had a small black cat like hair clip on the top left side.

"Oh! Please pardon the intrusion!" Josuke quickly said, bowing low to Koneko. The small girl paused from eating to look at Josuke before quietly bowing back to him.

"Welcome." She said blankly before continuing to nibble on her chocolate. Josuke immediately rose up, her word giving him ease to do so.

"Wh-whoa, is that who I think it is?" Issei asked dumbly, watching the petite girl eat a small plate of chocolate.

"You know her?" Josuke asked, unfamiliar with the girl himself.

"Why, that's Koneko Toujo. She's a first year and a valued member of the Occult Research Club." Kiba explained to them, causing Josuke to raise a brow in question.

"Oh, then how do you know her?" The pompadour teen asked, glancing at Issei.

"Hey, Koneko. It seems that Issei here says he might know you." Kiba declared, making the brunette blush with embarrassment. Koneko only nodded in greeting toward the two newcomers before resuming with her snack.

"U-uh I might have been mistaken." Issei said laughing sheepishly. He quickly turned around and grabbed Josuke by the shoulders and pulling him into a huddle. "How do you not know who she is?! She's one of the most popular girls with an amazing slender body in the school! Girls hate her because a lot of guys want her!" he whisper shouted loud enough for only he and Josuke to hear.

"Oh, right. I forgot you know just about everything involving the girls at this school…" Josuke sighed with a sweat drop.

"Man, what I would give to be that chocolate bar she's eating right now…" Issei said, laughing with a dirty expression on his face.

"Oi, keep it together. We're here for serious business." Josuke grumbled, shaking his head in disappointment. The two suddenly heard the sound of running water, making them turn back around to see that there was a shower curtain at the side of the room. On the other side, there was an outline of a female body, causing Issei to gape.

"I-is there a shower in this room?" Issei asked in awe, drool slightly dripping down his mouth.

"Okay, that one's not even fair to you…" Josuke deadpanned with his eye twitching unconsciously.

"I really don't know what this is about but I love this club~!" Issei cheered aloud, the emotion and words bursting out uncontrollably and causing the pompadour haired teen to scoot away from him for a moment.

"It's not polite to spy." Koneko's quiet voice suddenly said, causing both teens to glance at her in question.

"It's also not polite to take a shower when you know you're expecting two male guests, don't you think?" Josuke asked with a sweat drop. Koneko made no sound or motion to retort, only continuing to eat her chocolate.

"Your clothes are ready for you, president." They heard another voice. Another girl came into view in front of the shower curtain, her appearance being a large contrast to Koneko's. She was not only taller, but far more voluptuous and curvy. She had long black hair held up in a ponytail by a yellow ribbon that reached down to her knees. She turned to Issei and Josuke and offered a kind smile. "Oh, hello there. I didn't see you two come in!" She said as she approached them. Issei was quite intimidated by the beauty and popularity of the girl in front of him, recoiling as she came closer.

"Get a hold of yourself, man. And you say I'm shy around girls." Josuke whispered back to him with his hand cupped.

"Don't worry, I don't bite." Akeno chuckled with a smile. "I'm Akeno, it's nice to meet you both. And don't worry, everyone here is super nice. I hope we can get along well." She said as she bowed politely. Josuke immediately bowed back as he usually did.

"Thank you for having us, ma'am! I'm Josuke Higashikata, it's nice to meet you!" The tallest teen said formally.

"U-uh, I'm Issei Hyoudou. I promise that I'm not always this awkward." The brunette said bowing his head only slightly as he was still quite nervous.

"Ara ara, no need to be so formal. You can relax." Akeno said chuckling mostly at Josuke's introduction. The tallest teen immediately stood up straight like with Koneko, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"I'm sorry about showering at this time. I was up quite late last night and missed the chance to do so this morning." Josuke and Issei heard from the shower curtain again. Out walked none other than Rias Gremory, who was drying her still wet hair with a towel.

"N-no way, Rias Gremory is the one who called us here?!" Issei asked excitedly, glancing at Josuke in question. He immediately calmed down as he realized the taller teen seemed quite serious again, his eyes shaded by his hair. "Josuke?"

"Well, now that you're both here, we can start explaining everything to you, Issei." Rias said suddenly, causing the brunette to turn back to her. She walked to a rather large desk and took a seat on top of it, crossing her legs over. "Please, both of you, take a seat. We have much to discuss."

"O-oh, of course." Issei said nervously, walking up to the couch and taking a seat next to Koneko. Josuke followed him quietly, taking a seat on the opposite side of him.

"First, Issei, I would like to ask how you're doing. Are you feeling okay since yesterday?" Rias asked kindly, making the teen blink.

"Oh, um, yeah. I just have a headache today. And for some reason, my eyesight has been kind of weird." Issei explained before stopping in his tracks. "B-but why do you ask?"

"Well, you did go through quite the ordeal yesterday. It's only natural that you would be having some problems." Rias declared, causing Issei to slightly exhale.

"Y-yesterday?" Issei repeated dumbly. The crimson haired girl raised a brow in question.

"Do you remember what happened yesterday?" She asked curiously. Issei tried to mull over it in his mind again, holding his chin in thought. Immediately the weird dream of Yuuma came to his mind again, and only served to give him a headache.

"W-well, not really to be honest. I mean, I thought I was on a date with a girl named Yuuma Amano, but… no one seems to remember her." Issei explained, his mood taking a turn for the worse. "It's almost as if the past few days were a dream. Especially last night. What I remember is so crazy that… there's no way it's true."

The room was quiet for a moment, the atmosphere a bit heavy. Josuke could only watch his best friend with sympathy, knowing that he went through quite a difficult time today thinking it over in his head.

"I see. Well then, let's start with last night." Rias said, standing up from her seat and crossing her arms. "Know this, Issei: yesterday, you were killed by the girl you call Amano Yuuma."

Issei immediately widened his eyes and glanced back up at Rias in shock. "Wh-what? Killed?"

"Yes. You were killed by that girl. Because of that, the only way to save you was to turn you into a devil, like the rest of us." Rias declared firmly, causing the brunette to immediately hitch his breath.

"A… devil…?" Issei repeated before immediately laughing sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "O-Okay, I get it. This is some kind of a joke, huh? You had me there for a second…"

"It's completely true, Issei." Josuke suddenly spoke up, causing the brunette to snap his head toward the pompadour haired teen. Josuke's expression was as serious as it had ever been, and Issei could tell his friend was not lying or joking. Josuke liked to make jokes and go back and forth, but never before had he made such an elaborate joke that it would go this far. Finally, after debating it in his mind, he finally decided to listen.

"Well… if Josuke says it's true, then… I'm willing to listen." Issei declared with a sigh, glancing back at Rias. The crimson haired girl smiled, nodding in acceptance.

"I see that you both trust each other above anything. That's very helpful, because we have quite a bit to go over." Rias started, leaning back against the table. "I had wanted you to learn about us through experience in truth, but your friend Josuke insisted that we tell you as soon as possible."

"Waiting for him to run into another one of those things would just put him in danger again. Even if you were watching him closely." Josuke retorted calmly, but his gaze was rather stern. Rias was unfazed, nodding in agreement.

"Which is why we decided to bring you here today. Issei Hyoudou, starting last night, you are now a devil like myself and the rest of the club." Rias declared as the rest of the Occult Research Club stood up, a red energy glowing around them. Immediately a pair of bat like wings sprouted from their backs, causing Issei to gasp in shock and stand up. While Josuke had seen it the night before, he was still amazed by the display in front of him and even started to sweat.

"Welcome, Issei-kun. You're now one of us." Akeno chuckled with a smile.

"Those wings… they're just like…" Issei mumbled, dumbfounded by the display before him. "Wait, no… they're a bit different. Hers were like a crow's…" Without warning, a pair of wings sprouted from Issei's back, causing him to jerk forward slightly in shock. "W-what?!"

"As I said, you are now a devil, Issei." Rias chuckled with a smile. Issei couldn't help but look at his wings in a panic, unable to explain what just happened. He suddenly looked at Josuke, who was still seated with his arms crossed.

"What? I'm not a devil. Don't expect me to start sprouting wings out of nowhere." Josuke shrugged, placing his hands behind his head.

"Last night, you were killed by the girl you call Amano Yuuma. Trust me when I say that she was real, Issei." Rias said, grabbing his attention again as she tossed several photos onto the table. The brunette hesitated for a moment before finally picking them up, widening his eyes in shock as he realized that it was a photo of him and none other than the girl he once called his girlfriend. At that moment, many emotions raced through his mind, causing him to feel a pang of sadness churn his heart. He had enjoyed his time with Yuuma greatly, and so seeing this rendered all that time a lie.

"Can we stop now? This is a lot to take in…" Issei muttered, gripping the photo in his hand and closing his eyes. Rias looked at Issei with sympathy and nodded.

"I will cut our introduction short, then. Just know that last night when you were killed, I brought you back to life as my devil servant." Rias said simply, making the brunette open his eyes and glance back up at her.

"Y-your devil servant?" He repeated dumbly.

"That's right. From now on, your life belongs to me." Rias explained with a sly smile. Though Issei didn't notice it, her words made Josuke, who had been sitting quietly through the conversation, grip his arm anxiously.

"B-but if I was killed last night, then how did you make me your servant?" Issei asked before blinking and turning back to Josuke. "And… how exactly are you involved in all this, Josuke?"

"You had summoned me through this." Rias started before Josuke, who was planning to let her go first. The crimson haired girl held up a single leaflet with a magic circle drawn on it, making Issei blink in shock. "You summoned me through deep yearning to live, and so I appeared. I was able to bring you back to life by turning you into a devil."

"The reason I'm involved on this is because I showed up at the park after she was summoned." Josuke declared, finally speaking up again. "I tried to use **Crazy Diamond** to heal you, but… I guess I can't bring back the dead even if I heal the body." Josuke explained, his gaze becoming downcast. "And so because I couldn't save you in time, the only alternative was turning you into a devil… I'm sorry for failing you, Issei."

"Josuke…" Issei muttered, seeing that his friend was truly hurt by what had transpired. The brunette was quiet for a moment before walking over and placing a hand on Josuke's shoulder. "Hey, man. It's alright. How were we supposed to know that my girlfriend would turn out to be some crazy devil lady, right?" The brunette tried to joke. Josuke looked up at him quietly before giving a small smile and a nod.

"That's actually another thing we need to talk about." Rias started, but Issei held up his hand.

"Wait, no more for now. I believe everything you say, but… it's a lot to take in. I just… I just need some time to think." Issei explained, giving a long tired sigh and rubbing his head. Rias watched him for a moment before nodding in acceptance.

"I understand. It's a lot to learn and accept in so little time. Why don't you go take a walk and clear your head? We can finish our discussion later tonight, okay?" Rias offered, to which Issei nodded.

"Yeah, that sounds good to me." He mumbled, heading for the door.

"Hold up, I'll go with you." Josuke said, standing from his seat. "The last thing we need is you getting in trouble again."

Issei nodded tiredly, not bothering to wait for him as he exited from the room. Josuke was about to follow until he heard Rias call out to him.

"Hold a moment, Josuke. I would like to speak to you for a moment before you go." Rias declared, causing the tall teen to stop short. He glanced back at Rias in question before looking back at Issei.

"Go on ahead, I'll catch up with you in a bit." He said, the brunette nodding before walking away. Josuke watched him stalk away for a moment and sigh, knowing that it would take him some time to come to terms with what had happened. He soon turned back to the red haired devil, stuffing his hands in his pockets and looked at her with moderate interest.

"What do you need?" He asked stiffly, something that did not go unnoticed by Rias.

"I get the feeling that you resent me, Josuke. I would like to know the reason why." Rias said rather bluntly, causing her peerage to glance at the tall teen in question. Josuke was quiet for a moment, his hair shading his eyes.

"I'm really grateful that you were able to bring back Issei, I really am." Josuke said, finally speaking. "But the fact that he became a devil and your servant to do it doesn't really sit well with me.

"Are you afraid of what we are?" Rias asked curiously, knowing that many would be in a normal situation. It was odd for a human to be speaking to her like this in the first place with full knowledge of what she was, and so she wouldn't be surprised if Josuke was as well.

"I'm not. I was afraid that becoming a devil might change who Issei is as a person." Josuke explained, causing her to raise a brow in shock. "But… after seeing him today, I guess that was just me being cautious. He's still the same old Issei, so I can't complain about that."

"Yet you still seem a bit reserved." Rias said knowingly, to which Josuke nodded.

"I'm happy to see that he's still himself, but the fact also remains that he's not his own man anymore." Josuke explained further. "I don't know how you might treat your servants or whether they're important to you or not. There's no use in crying about him being your servant though, what's done is done. What I'm afraid of is that you might use him for whatever purpose and then throw him away."

Rias was quiet for a moment, her eyes shaded by her bangs as his were earlier. Finally, she sighed, leaning back against her desk. "I understand your reservations then. He is an important friend to you, and so I will not hold it against you for being as cautious as you are." Rias said understandingly. She then stood up, putting a hand to her chest. "But understand this, Josuke Higashikata. All my servants are important to me, and I would never do anything to hurt them, nor would I toss them aside!" She declared confidently, her stern, strong gaze meeting Josuke's, causing the large teen's eyes to slightly widen in shock.

"It's true. The president is quite kind to all of us." Kiba suddenly said, causing Josuke to glance at him now.

"She has cared for us when we all were in need." Koneko's quiet voice added.

"You can entrust Issei into our care, Josuke. President will care for him like family." Akeno added this time. Josuke glanced around at the group in front of him, seeing the loyalty and love between all of them. It was something he was rather familiar with, for it was something he shared with Issei as well. The pompadour spotting teen was silent for a moment before finally sighing and rubbing his neck.

"Well, **great**. You guys are pretty convincing, at least. I'll entrust Issei to you then, for now." Josuke said as he turned around and headed for the door. "Just know this, though: Issei's my best friend. If he's going to be mixed up in all this, then so am I. As a human." The large teen declared, jerking a thumb at his chest. "No matter what, you can't stop me from watching out for my best friend."

"I suppose that's only fair. But be warned that this road is very dangerous, Josuke. Even with your powers." Rias explained to him before a sudden realization came over her. "Which reminds me, I would like to talk to you about your powers."

"Another time." Josuke said, waving his hand dismissively. "I need to go check up on Issei. This all is a lot for him to take in, after all."

"I understand. Please do as you wish." Rias said, nodding in acceptance. Right as Josuke was about to leave, he suddenly stopped. For a moment he hesitated, causing the redhead to raise a brow in question.

"I don't think I said it last night because of all that happened, but…" Josuke started before swiftly turning around and bowing his head low. "Thank you for saving Issei's life!" He proclaimed rather loudly, surprising the group of devils. For a moment it was quiet until Rias finally smiled and nodded.

"It was no problem at all. Thank you for being patient with us." Rias said as she bowed in response. The tall teen stood up again and smiled, nodding before finally leaving. Josuke had been filled with a newfound reassurance. He wasn't completely sure whether to trust them or not yet, but he was able to tell that Rias herself wasn't a bad person. That was good enough for him, at least for now.

"Now where did Issei go…?" Josuke mumbled to himself as he exited the building, now seeing that it was nightfall.

"They certainly are an interesting pair of friends, aren't they?" Akeno giggled, now standing at Rias' side.

"It's a friendship that is incredibly hard to find. Very few have the bond that they have, one that transcends blood. They're interesting as individuals, but together they are even greater." Rias declared, standing from her seat and smiling. "A boy with a Sacred Gear and another with a Stand. brought together by coincidence or not, they are bound to the same fate by their brotherhood. I am truly excited to see where they go from here."

* * *

Issei walked through the park that he last remembered seeing Yuuma in. He intended to wait for Josuke originally, but his thoughts carried him off. Much weighed on his mind, and so recalling the previous day's events was all he could do. It hurt to think about her, but with all that had happened, there was nothing that could distract him. He tried thinking of girls, of Rias and her club, but it did nothing to make him feel better. In fact, thinking of the crimson haired girl only reminded him further of his situation. He was now supposedly a devil, and the servant of Rias Gremory at that. His normal life was now gone. In truth, though, his perverse mind didn't mind so much being Rias's servant.

He soon arrived at the fountain at the center of the park. The very spot he had died at, and the last time he had seen Yuuma at. He felt a rising surge of power in his chest, heating up like nothing he'd ever felt. He gripped his chest in pain, doing his best to push through it.

"She wasn't kidding when she said that I'd feel some changes." Issei half joked to himself, slightly sweating as the surfacing power started to fade.

"Well, well. Look what we have here." Issei suddenly heard a voice, making him quickly turn around in surprise. A middle-aged man in a black trenchcoat and fedora was standing several meters away from him, a dark smirk plastered on his lips. "You have some bad luck, devil. Running into me here."

"Wh-what? What are you talking about?" Issei asked in confusion, taking a step back as the man slowly approached him. The man suddenly raised his head so that his eyes were in view, a killing intent pouring out of him and filling Issei with terror. Issei went to take another step back, but found himself jumping over the fountain and onto the other side, much to his shock. _I-I only meant to take a step back, but I went really far!_

"Trying to run, kid? It's too late for that." The man chuckled darkly.

Issei stood there for a moment, considering his options. Obviously, the guy was trouble and no doubt wanted to kill him. Thinking he had no other choice, Issei quickly turned on his heel and rushed away. He didn't want to stick around to bother seeing if he had a chance. He had just become a devil, and had no idea on whether that made him stronger or not. _Damn it, I should have stuck around for the whole discussion after all! What kind of luck do I have to have this happen to me **twice**?!_

Suddenly Issei started to see black feathers float down in front of him, immediately reminding him of a certain girl. "Yu-Yuuma?!" He muttered in shock, but his attention was quickly drawn to a figure above that flew by at incredible speeds. He skidded against the ground to a stop as the man from earlier landed in front of him, large black feathered wings spread out behind him on his back.

"What cowardice. And here I was expecting a decent fight." The man scoffed, tilting his hat over his eyes. "It seems you're a stray devil. No master has been called and no magic circles have formed to call reinforcements." He mused, forming a light spear similar to the one Issei had seen Yuuma use against him the day before.

 _No, not again! If I'm gonna die like last time, I really **would** prefer it to be a hot girl, at least!_ Issei mentally groaned as he turned around to run again. The Fallen Angel soon threw the Spear of Light, hoping to hit Issei head on through the gut until-

 **DORA!**

With unseen speed, a large pink and silver armored figure quickly appeared beside Issei and deflected the light spear, redirecting it straight into the ground and creating a large crater. "Wh-what the-?" Issei managed to say before covering his eyes from the dirt kicked up. He waved his hand around to clear the cloud, and soon a familiar pompadour came into view. Josuke stood there, the large figure of **Crazy Diamond** floating a little bit above him with its fists gripped.

"Jo-Josuke!" Issei cried out in shock. He looked at the figure above his friend and gaped. "Wh-what is that thing?!"

"It's **Crazy Diamond** , duh." Josuke said, smirking back at his friend.

"Since when did it have an **entire** body, though?!" Issei asked in disbelief, gazing up at the large form that kept its focus on the Fallen Angel.

"Interesting power, human. I've never seen anything like that before." The black winged man said before narrowing his eyes. "But you're just a human. Get in my way again and I'll kill you."

"Why don't you come over here and try?" Josuke taunted with a wry smile, causing Issei to flinch.

"Josuke! Don't make things worse!" Issei cried out in panic.

"You're ballsy, human. But being ballsy will just get you **killed**!" The Fallen Angel growled before rushing forward. Suddenly a ball of black energy exploded in front of him, causing him to stop and fall back. "Now what?!" He growled. Josuke and Issei glanced to the side as a red glowing magic circle appeared, Rias Gremory at the center.

"Keep your hands off of him." She declared sternly, her intense gaze falling on the Fallen Angel.

"R-Rias-sempai!" Issei cried out in surprise.

"One after another, you all keep appearing." The black winged man growled as he turned his attention to Rias. "I'll teach you for interfering!" He said as he formed another spear of light and launched it toward the crimson haired girl. Rias didn't make a move, for a small blur appeared in front of her and knocked the spear away. Koneko came into view, shocking Issei and Josuke with her display.

"N-no way, Koneko-san is here too?" Issei gasped.

"They weren't kidding when they said they were watching you…" Josuke muttered in surprise himself.

"Damn all of you!" The Fallen Angel cried out as he caught the deflected Spear of Light, deciding to rush in closer to attack. Suddenly a bolt of lightning appeared from the sky, again stopping him short. Akeno floated down with a taunting smile, electricity surrounding her hand.

"Now I get it, you're a devil from the house Gremory." The fallen angel declared, raising himself up and dusting off his hat.

"That's right. I am Rias Gremory. Who might you be, Fallen Angel?" the crimson haired girl asked with a confident smirk.

"No one of significance. So I'm guessing this boy is one of your servants, then? You should keep him from strolling so freely. You never know if he'll run into someone far less cordial than myself." The fallen angel chuckled darkly, placing his hat on his head.

"Thank you for the advice. But just so you know, if something like this happens again, you will feel the wrath of House Gremory." Rias declared with a dark smile that made Issei gulp in fear.

"The same could be said for you, devil. You better hope we never meet again." The Fallen Angel laughed, spreading his wings to fly away.

"Wait a sec, where do you think you're going?" Josuke suddenly spoke up, turning all attention to him.

"Jo-Josuke, what are you doing?!" Issei asked as the pompadour haired teen approached the black winged man slowly.

"Josuke, please stay out of this. This man is dangerous." Rias warned, but Josuke didn't seem to be listening to anyone at this point.

"You really are ballsy, human. I was ready to leave, yet it looks like you're still ready to challenge me to a fight." The fallen angel chuckled, turning fully toward the tall teen. "But what does a human have to do with devils? You're definitely not one of her servants."

"That's right, I'm not." Josuke agreed simply, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "My best friend became a devil because one of you killed him. I want to know where that specific Fallen Angel is."

"Oh, is that so? Well, no matter how determined you might be, boy, I won't be giving out any information." The black winged man scoffed, crossing his arms.

"That's fine, too. I also want to beat the shit outta you for trying to kill my friend. And to deliver a message for me." Josuke declared sternly, narrowing his eyes into a glare. This caused the Fallen Angel to finally break his calm demeanor and growl, a Spear of Light forming in his hand.

"You stupid brat…"

"Josuke, enough! Making enemies with them is unwise!" Rias warned him in fear, but the pompadour haired teen didn't make any move of retreat.

"Sorry, Rias. But this has nothing to do with you. This is between me and the Fallen Angels." Josuke declared, jerking a thumb at his chest.

"You wish to fight **all** of us, boy?!" The black winged man growled, flying toward Josuke finally to attack.

"Damn straight." Josuke said calmly.

" **Josuke, run**!" Issei cried out. The man was now only feet away, raising his Light Spear to pierce Josuke in a quick attack.

"I'll show you for getting cocky!" He growled in anger. Rias and her peerage seemed ready to move in and help, but that quickly was stopped as Crazy Diamond appeared at Josuke's side.

 **DORA!** The silver armored Stand growled, punching the Fallen Angel across the face with great speed and force before he could even react. The black winged man gasped in pain, not expecting to be hit so ferociously. He was launched far from Josuke, but was able to use his flight to keep himself from crashing into a tree.

"Y-you brat. What the hell is this power..?" He growled, feeling his jaw and was unsure whether Josuke had broken it or not.

"What's wrong? I thought you were gonna teach me for being cocky?" Josuke taunted with a confident smile, serving its purpose of infuriating the Fallen Angel.

"Don't you dare mock me!" He roared in anger, forming two Spears of Light in both hands. He kept his distance this time, and launched them as hard as he could, and continued to form more and continued to throw them.

"Josuke, move!" Issei cried out in fear, but the tall teen did no such thing. As the Light Spears approached, Josuke only took several steps forward to close the distance slowly, **Crazy Diamond** taking the lead in front of him and started to launch a barrage of punches.

 **DORARARARARARARARARARARARA!** It roared as it deflected each Light Spear with ease. Josuke continued his approach, letting his Stand do the work as he did so.

"You damn human!" The Fallen Angel growled as he tossed one last spear. This time, though, Crazy Diamond caught it in its grip. It flipped it around and quickly launched it back at the Fallen Angel with greater speed than even he was throwing them at. He had no time to react, and was quickly pierced through the gut, causing him to spit out blood and fall toward the ground.

"I-impossible, how can a human have so much power…?" He asked in shock before finally crashing down. Josuke wasted no time as he walked over to the Fallen Angel's location, his Stand dismissed for the moment.

"I'll give you this chance to surrender and tell me what I want to know. If you do that, I won't attack you again." Josuke declared, standing over the Fallen Angel who had rolled onto his stomach.

"You… you think you've won?" The black winged man said, laughing weakly. In his hand, he quickly formed another Spear of Light before spinning around and launching himself at Josuke. "You can go straight to Hell!"

Josuke didn't move or flinch as the man approached, his eyes shaded by his hair.

"Wrong answer."

 **(Ending theme: Roundabout)**

Before Josuke could be impaled by the Spear of Light, **Crazy Diamond** quickly formed at his side and pierced through the Fallen Angel's chest with its fist. The Fallen Angel was stopped short, blood pouring from his chest and mouth.

"Well, if you're not gonna tell me what I want to know, then I'll tell you the message I want you to deliver." Josuke stated calmly, pulling the black winged man closer. "Tell that bitch **Raynare** that my name is Josuke Higashikata. You tried to kill my friend. Now: I'm going to kill you."

 **Crazy Diamond** quickly launched the Fallen Angel off of its arm and crashing into a tree. The black winged man fully expected to be dead soon, but suddenly felt as if he had not been hit. He raised himself up slowly to see that the wound in his chest was gone, and even his clothes were repaired. "Wh-what?! The wound is gone?! H-how?!"

"Get the hell out of here and deliver my message!" Josuke exclaimed fiercely, pointing a finger at the Fallen Angel. "And tell her **this is war**!"

 **(Theme ends)**

"Yo-you bastard… I'll make you pay for this!" The Fallen Angel growled as he spread his wings. He launched himself into the sky and flew away, going out of sight. Josuke watched him for a moment before sighing and relaxing.

"Well, it looks like I got my point across." Josuke chuckled, turning back to walk to Issei. When he saw the entire group staring at him in shock, he blinked in question. "What?"

"Josuke… that was **awesome**!" Issei laughed, rushing up and grabbing the taller teen by the shoulders. "But still, don't ever scare me like that again! I thought you might get killed!"

"Hey, man. Remember, I've always been the tough one between us." Josuke teased, causing the brunette to laugh and push his shoulder jokingly.

"That was an incredible display of your power, Josuke." Rias complimented, but her face seemed quite irate. "But you just declared war against the Fallen Angels in this area. That's going to cause quite a lot of trouble for us."

"No, no, see. I thought of that. I didn't want to cause you guys any trouble, so I made sure they knew it was just me declaring war against them, and not all of you." Josuke explained with a confident grin before bowing in apology. "Sorry if my actions might have caused you some concern."

Rias opened her mouth to berate him further before only sighing and shaking her head. "I would like to scold you further, but seeing as how you're not my servant, I suppose I can't control your actions."

"And don't worry, Josuke. No matter what, I'm here for you." Issei declared, patting him on the shoulder.

"Actually, I don't think you can. You might end up causing trouble for Rias here." Josuke explained thoughtfully, causing the brunette to widen his eyes in realization.

"I won't let you fight the Fallen Angels on your own, Josuke. If they come for you, you can expect an ally in me." Rias explained.

"I appreciate that, sempai. But in all honesty, I don't want to cause you guys trouble." Josuke explained, making her widen her eyes in surprise. "This is my fight with them."

"Josuke…" Issei muttered, looking at his friend with respect.

"Ara ara, such a strong will." Akeno chuckled lightly, holding a hand to her mouth.

"He's pretty cool." Koneko added quietly, despite the fact that her gaze remained blank.

"Well, I suppose I can't convince you now. Why don't we head back to the school so we can finish our talk?" Rias offered, to which Josuke and Issei nodded. The girls took the lead and Josuke followed behind. As they walked though, the pompadour haired teen realized Issei wasn't following, and quickly turned around to glance at him.

"Come on, Issei. Let's go." He told him, motioning for Issei to follow. The brunette's gaze was downcast, and his fists tightened.

"I guess there really is no denying it anymore, huh? I'm definitely a devil…" Issei laughed weakly. "I wonder what that means for me…" He muttered, glancing at his hands. A lot was on his mind now, and he couldn't help but feel uneasy. He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder, and glanced up to see Josuke smiling at him.

"Don't make such a depressing face, man. I could care less about you being a devil or not." He declared, causing Issei to slightly gasp. "You're my best friend, no matter what. I'll have your back to the end of time, brother."

"Josuke…" Issei muttered, manly tears forming in his eyes.

"Issei…" Josuke muttered back, his own eyes welling up as well. Suddenly an oddly romantic atmosphere started to form around them, almost as if they were about to kiss.

"Oh, so that's how you two really are with each other, huh?" They heard Rias tease, making them jump in surprise before glancing at the girls who were now watching them.

"Ara ara, I think they make a cute couple." Akeno giggled lightly.

"Yaoi style." Koneko stated simply. The two best friends glanced at each other for a moment before quickly backing away from each other and laughing sheepishly.

"G-girls! Don't make weird assumptions like that! We're both totally into chicks!" Issei quickly dismissed, waving his arms around. "Huge tits are what I love!"

"I'm not a pervert like him, but yeah. I'm not into guys!" Josuke quickly added, the idea of the two being a couple grossing him out.

"If you two say so~." Rias chuckled as she turned away and headed out of the park. "Come on, you two lovers. It's getting late."

" **We're not!** " They both protested desperately, only receiving a laugh from Akeno and Rias in response before following them begrudgingly.

To be continued…

 **Whoooa! Yeah! That's another chapter down! I hope you guys all enjoyed that one! I was glad I could get another chapter out this quickly, since when I start a story I have to post more quickly at the beginning so that I don't lose the ideas forming in my head.**

 **Also just in case you're wondering, yes, Josuke's line to the Fallen Angel was a direct quote from his father Joseph Joestar. In truth, Joseph is my favorite Jojo, so the fact that they're father and son makes me love it all more. Every now and then, you're going to see quotes from Josuke's father delivered through his son. Sorry, I just can't help myself on that one.**

 **Also, in case you're worried about Josuke becoming some angsty emo, he won't. A lot happened to him and Issei in the short span of two days, and so he's just a bit apprehensive, as any of us would be. He's going to still be the lovable Jojo that we know. He's still the kindest one there is, but as readers of Part 4 know, Josuke can be quite brutal when he wants to.**

 **Well, that's it for this chapter. Remember to review and favorite for me! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Got a nice response to chapter 2, so lets keep the love coming, shall we? I've finally decided on several things in the story that I addressed in the previous chapter, so I'm far pretty happy that I've at least got all those thoughts out of the way. I won't tell you guys what I'm gonna do yet, though, and just let it be something for you to expect as the story goes on :).**

 **Oh, and one thing you should all know since someone brought it up: This story will be following rather closely to the original story of the anime of DxD. I will make several changes of course and several chapters will be completely different, but overall this will follow the usual timeline… With a bit of Diamond is Unbreakable thrown in, but not completely. We'll see :P**

 **Again, thanks go to Ser Gadot for helping me out with this story by beta reading it for me!**

 **Alright, enough chit chat, time to get the chapter started!**

Chapter 3

"Hurry up, Josuke! We're gonna be late if you don't hurry!" Issei called out from the front of Josuke's house. Said teen was currently in his bathroom, furiously trying to comb his hair down. While he always maintained and took very good care of it, every now and then a couple of strands would stick up on top of his head. Whenever this happened, Josuke couldn't help but take precious time to fix it up. Sometimes this would take well over an hour, which made both him and Issei late to school several times before.

"J-just give me a second! I've almost got it!" Josuke pleaded almost desperately, sweating at all the effort he put into fixing his hair. He steadily and carefully combed a stray strand of hair on top of his head down, smiling when he saw it stay down. Several seconds later though, the hair popped back up on top of his head, making him cry out in frustration and slam his fists into the sink.

"Shit, why won't it just stay down?! I swear, it just doesn't wanna cooperate sometimes…" Josuke muttered as he continued to try and suppress the hair. His mother, Tomoko Higashikata, walked up to the bathroom door that Josuke had left half open.

"Hey, Josuke. Your boyfriend is waiting for you outside." She told him, crossing her arms as she leaned on the door frame.

"Yeah, mom, I know. I just need a few seconds to fix this up and then I'm going…" Josuke explained, never taking his eyes off the mirror. Tomoko rolled her eyes, knowing that a few seconds would likely turn into another hour if possible.

"Well, try not to keep him waiting. I'm proud of you, though. I didn't realize you guys finally got past the point of denying your relationship anymore." Tomoko teased, causing Josuke to stumble slightly.

"Sh-shut up, mom! I'm busy in here!" Josuke grumbled as he recovered, his cheeks puffed up in annoyance. Tomoko laughed, walking out of the doorway and leaving her son to finish. After another minute of combing, Josuke finally got his hair to the point he wished for. He smiled goofily, posing in front of the mirror to make sure that it wouldn't pop up even if he was moving around.

"Yosh! Great!" Josuke grinned, pointing at himself proudly in the mirror. He quickly ran out of the bathroom now, grabbing his school bag and finally leaving for school. "See ya, mom! Tell gramps I said bye!"

"Take care!" Tomoko called from the kitchen.

"Yo!" Josuke called out as he spotted Issei waiting for him at the corner of their street. The brunette looked at him with half lidded eyes, deadpanning.

"Oh hey, what do you know. It only took you half an hour to fix your hair right this time. Progress." Issei sarcastically drawled, causing the pompadour spotting teen to chuckle sheepishly and scratch the back of his head.

"Sorry about that, man. My hair just wasn't cooperating this morning." Josuke apologized, making Issei sigh and shrug.

"Meh, I've gotten used to it by now. At least we're not going to be late if we leave now." Issei said, checking his phone for the time.

"Great, let's go then." Josuke nodded and the two finally departed for school. It was relatively silent as they walked, neither having much to say. Much had happened in the past few days, and so this calm between storms was a bit refreshing for them. After the fight with the Fallen Angel, Rias had continued to explain Issei's position and responsibilities the night before. Since it was late, she had let him go home without any work, but the next day he was expected to do 'jobs' by making deals with humans.

"You know, Josuke…" Issei finally spoke up, causing the taller teen to glance at him. "Last night, I did a lot of thinking about… well, everything. I thought that things would take a turn for worse now that I am a devil. But…"

"What?" Josuke asked as Issei had trailed off. For a moment, the brunette seemed quite serious and sullen, but that suddenly changed when Issei looked back at the pompadour spotting teen with a perverted smile.

"But I think that it might turn out to be **awesome**!" He proclaimed happily, causing Josuke to slightly recoil in surprise.

"Se-seriously?!" Josuke asked in disbelief.

"Of course! Before, I would never even **get** the chance to hang out with the likes of Koneko-chan. Now, I get to hang around **three** of the most popular girls in school! It's like a dream~!" Issei cheered, his cheeks turning rosy with color as he fantasized about each one. "It looks like my dream of a harem may actually come true… all the breasts I could ever want to squeeze..."

Josuke stared at Issei for a long moment, at first so utterly stupefied by Issei's reasoning that he didn't know what to say. Suddenly he burst out in laughter, holding his stomach as he did so. "Only **you** could reason losing your humanity with something like that, Issei." He declared through his laughter.

"And proud of it!" Issei huffed, pounding his chest and blowing air out of his nose. Josuke eventually calmed his laughter down, smiling at his friend.

"Becoming a devil really didn't change you at all." Josuke declared before holding his chin in thought. "Then again, your personality is devilish in a way…"

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" Issei complained, only to cause Josuke to smirk teasingly.

"So there you two are. I thought I might have come to the wrong neighborhood." The two suddenly heard someone speak ahead of them. After turning their attention forward they saw none other than Rias waiting for them at the corner of the street.

"R-Rias-sempai! What are you doing here?" Issei asked in surprise.

"I thought I'd walk with my new servant to school this morning. I arrived a little over half an hour ago, though I suppose I came a bit too early." Rias explained. Josuke slightly tensed up and whistled as he started to sweat, feeling Issei's deadpanned stare boring into him.

"Sorry you had to wait like that. You can blame that on Josuke. If his hair doesn't fit his expectations, he gets stuck on it like a girl and tries to fix it for hours." Issei declared, causing Josuke to flinch and Rias to cover her mouth to keep from laughing.

"Shut up, man! I only took half an hour!" Josuke retorted before quickly bowing in apology to Rias. "Sorry you had to wait!"

Rias only chuckled, nodding in acceptance. "It's alright. I suppose I should have let you both know ahead of time that I was coming anyways. Shall we go, then?" She asked, turning around and heading to school.

* * *

As the three entered the school grounds, every group of students around stopped and stared at them in shock. Josuke and Issei glanced around in question while Rias continued on without a care in the world.

"N-no way, it was one thing to hang out with Josuke-kun, but now Rias-sempai as well?!" A girl shouted in horror from the side.

"Impossible! He must have done her homework or paid her or something!" A jealous boy cried out.

"And so starts the spreading of rumors…" Issei grumbled in annoyance, trying to ignore the hateful glares he was receiving.

"Man, I didn't realize you were this popular. You're turning heads everywhere." Josuke said, leaning toward the crimson haired girl.

"No~! How can we compete with a girl like Rias-sempai for Josuke-kun's affection?!" Several of the tall teen's fangirls cried out in sadness, though the pompadour teen seemed ignorant.

"It seems like I'm not the only one who's popular." Rias said with giggle.

"This jerk has always been popular. He just doesn't know what to do with it." Issei said through grinded teeth.

"Well, I have to hang out with the least popular guy in school, so there's not much I can do with it anyway." Josuke shot back with a smirk, immediately causing Issei to stumble.

"Wh-what?! I am not the least popular guy in school!" Issei retorted weakly, knowing that it was probably the truth.

"We'll part ways from here, okay you two?" Rias declared as they entered the main school building, causing both teens to turn to her in question. "Issei, remember to head to the Clubroom after school so we can finish talking about your duties."

"O-oh, okay then. Are you sure you don't want me to walk you to class?" Issei asked, slightly wishing to stay by his new master's side.

"That's alright, I can make my way from here. I'm sure you've got your own class to get to." Rias chuckled, giving the brunette a serene smile that made him slightly melt. Josuke rolled his eyes and grabbed his collar to pull him along.

"I guess we'll see you then." Josuke nodded as he started to head to class with Issei in tow.

"Actually, Josuke, I would like for you to meet me after school. There's someone I'd like you to talk to." Rias declared, causing the pompadour spotting teen to raise a brow in question.

"Someone? Who?" Josuke repeated, but Rias shook her head.

"Don't worry about it, you'll know soon enough. You'll finally get a better understanding of your power's origin. Meet me by the school club rooms." Rias instructed before heading up the stairs to the next level. Issei and Josuke glanced at each other, sharing the same thoughts.

"Is there another devil at this school?" Josuke asked thoughtfully.

"Not that I know of. Remember, I just became one. If anything, I know about as much as you." Issei shrugged. Before the two could continue further, Issei suddenly found himself being socked hard across the jaw, flying into one of the support beams of the school. Josuke guessed who it was already and sighed as he turned to see a steaming Matsuda and Motohama.

"Hi guys." Josuke said, waving lamely.

"You bastard! We don't see either of you for one night and you end up walking to school with the most popular girl in school?! What the hell?!" Matsuda cried out in jealousy, gripping his fist as tears started to pour from his eyes.

"Why did you punch me and not Josuke…?" Issei grumbled as he rubbed his cheek.

"Because Josuke would kick our asses, duh." Motohama explained with a shrug.

"I would." Josuke nodded in agreement.

"Don't try to act all innocent either though, Josuke! You're just as guilty as he is!" Matsuda declared, turning accusingly back to the taller teen.

"Now, now, Matsuda. Let's at least give them a chance to explain." Motohama reasoned, pushing up his glasses despite the fact that he had tears streaming in his eyes too. "Now come clean! What were you two doing last night?!"

"I'll tell you what." Issei said before Josuke could even speak. He turned back to the duo and offered a sly smile. "We were rolling in double D's."

Immediately Motohama and Matsuda gasped in shock, while Josuke did his best to try and contain his laughter from bursting out. While he didn't like the perverse jokes Issei and the others made, he did take a lot of fun in seeing two of the Pervert Trio suffer like this. As the four continued to bicker, Rias couldn't help but laugh to herself after overhearing them talk.

"So they're the ones, huh?" She heard from the top of the stairs, causing her to turn curiously to the source. A girl with neck-length black hair stood by a pillar, a pair of purple glasses resting on the bridge of her nose. She had a yellow hair clip in her hair on the left side.

"Good morning, Rias." The girl greeted, her demeanor rather serious but gentle.

"Good morning, Sona." The red haired girl greeted back.

"It's not like you to bring someone into your household so impulsively." The girl now identified as Sona mused, glancing back at the group of boys below them, who were now playing a game of four way rock-paper-scissors.

"Is that so?" Rias asked as she glanced down at them herself now. "Because it feels like I've gained a silly little brother. Well, two I suppose. But I'd say the other is almost like a protective, older one." She chuckled, causing Sona to raise a brow in question.

"I have heard they were close before. Tell me, are you planning to ask Josuke Higashikata to join your peerage?" Sona asked curiously.

"Not anytime soon, to be honest. He has a good heart and is quite kind, but right now he has his own reasons for sticking around us. I would like to gain more of his trust before asking something like that." Rias explained as the two focused their attention on the pompadour spotting teen, who was currently being made fun of for losing to all three boys.

"I see. To have such an ability is quite interesting." Sona chuckled before sending a challenging glance at the red head. "You better keep him close though, so that you don't lose him to someone else."

"Even if you were to ask him, I doubt he would say yes to you either." Rias retorted with a knowing smile.

"Perhaps, but you never know." Sona shot back with a confident grin this time. The redhead chuckled at her rival's actions, but her expression quickly became serious.

"There is something I'd like to ask for your help in with him, Sona. You have more knowledge on the subject than I do, after all." Rias declared, causing the black haired teen to turn to her in question.

* * *

Josuke waited patiently after school for Rias to meet him. He was currently standing outside of the main clubrooms inside the school, messing around with a game on his phone. "Man, no matter what game it is, I always seem to suck at them…" He grumbled as his thumbs quickly tapped away at the touch screen.

"Ah, so you're already here." He heard Rias from the side. He didn't bother to look up, still very focused on his game.

"Uh-j-just one sec, okay? I've almost… damn it!" Josuke exclaimed as he died again as usual. His shoulders slumped in defeat and he sighed, rubbing the back of his head in disappointment. "Sorry about that, I was really close to beating this level I was on." He said as he pocketed his phone.

"Don't mind me, you seemed quite into it." Rias chuckled as she approached him. "Follow me, I would like to introduce you to a friend of mine." She told him, motioning for the taller teen to follow. Josuke complied, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he trailed behind her.

"So you said this is about my 'powers', right? This friend of yours knows about it?" Josuke asked curiously.

"That's right. In fact, she knows more than I do on the subject. She takes a deep interest in many things." Rias explained as they passed several classrooms.

"I see. I'm guessing she's a devil like you are, then? Is she one of your servants?" Josuke mused, but the red haired girl shook her head.

"She is not. She is like me, a devil noble from another family. But I'll let her tell you about that if you want." Rias said, but Josuke only grunted in moderate interest.

"Maybe but… to be honest, all that stuff is still kinda confusing. I'll just stick to finding out about my powers I think…" Josuke muttered, rubbing his head. Rias chuckled at his plight, but the two were stopped short in their conversation when someone came into view. She was a tall girl with blue spectacles and incredibly long black hair, even longer than Rias' or Akeno's. She had pale skin, similar to Rias but she looked rather serious.

"Ah, good. You are both here. Sona is ready for you both, Rias-sama." The girl said before entering the room without another word. Josuke glanced up and saw that it was the Student Council meeting room, causing him to raise a brow.

"Student council head, huh? Guess I shouldn't be surprised…" He mused aloud as started to follow Rias into the room. The room was rather large, but empty, with several chairs set around a square of tables, most likely for meetings between the student council. At the head sat Sona, who offered a calm smile to her two guests.

"Right on time." She said as she stood from the table, extending a hand to Josuke. "You are much taller in person now that I see you up close, Josuke Higashikata. It's nice to meet you, I'm Sona Sitri."

"O-oh!" Josuke said, quickly shaking her hand before bowing lowly. "It's nice to meet you, ma'am! I hope that I'm not imposing!" He nearly exclaimed, causing Sona to raise a brow at his sudden outburst.

"He's quite prone to doing that when he meets people, from what I've seen." Rias chuckled from the side of the pompadour haired teen. Sona smiled before nodding.

"You have good manners, Higashikata-san. No need to feel nervous. Please relax and we may get started." Sona declared, causing the taller teen to raise his head and nod quickly.

"Well, I'll leave you to it, then." Rias declared, causing Josuke to turn to her.

"You're not staying?" He asked curiously.

"No, I still have to continue going over Issei's duties, remember? Come by the club if you like once you're done here." She told him, to which the teen nodded and waved as she left before turning back to Sona.

"In case you didn't know, this is Tsubaki Shinra. She is my Queen in my peerage." Sona introduced, motioning to the girl Josuke met earlier.

"It's nice to meet you." Tsubaki said, bowing politely. Josuke quickly bowed back before slowly raising his head in question.

"'Queen'? What do you mean by that?" Josuke asked.

"Oh, my apologies. I was under the impression Rias might have already explained that system to you and your friend Issei Hyoudou. Perhaps I'll let her tell you more about such things since you are friends." Sona reasoned before taking a seat down in her chair again, motioning for both he and Tsubaki to do the same. "After all, we're here to talk about you and your special abilities."

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble, ma'am." Josuke nodded.

"You may call me Sitri-sempai if you like. After all, I am your senior." Sona offered.

"Yes ma-er, I mean, sempai. I can do that." Josuke agreed.

"Good, then let us begin." Sona started, crossing her arms over her chest. "First of all, may I see this **Crazy Diamond** of yours as Rias said you call it?"

"Sure." Josuke said, easily summoning his Stand to his side, the large pink and silver armored figure coming into sight. Both Sona and Tsubaki widened their eyes in surprise, the former standing up again to observe it.

"Interesting. Yours manifests so clearly, and it seems you control it quite well." She determined as she inspected it closely with her eyes. "You must have quite a strong will…"

"Rias told me it's completely different than what Issei has in him. I think she called it something like a Stand?" Josuke asked, to which Sona nodded.

"That's correct. This power is known as a Stand by those who possess this same ability as you." Sona declared, causing Josuke to widen his eyes in shock.

"Wait, there are more people with powers like this?!"

"Correct. Though to be fair, they aren't very common. Even less so than the Sacred Gears your friend has one of. And Stands come in many different shapes and sizes. They can be very different, some depend on the characteristics of their owner while others do not reflect the user at all. From what Rias told me, yours matches your personality." Sona explained before adjusting her glasses. "Let us start with the origins of Stands, then. Long ago, there was a battle between the Three Factions, the Angels, Fallen Angels, and Devils, called the Great War. It was a devastating fight that cost many lives on all sides. Eventually, this conflict even spilled onto earth, and humans were soon becoming unneeded casualties. Are you keeping up so far?"

"Yeah. Big war between everyone and eventually humans got involved. Got it." Josuke reassured, motioning for her to continue.

"Good. The Angel Faction, of course, were tasked with defending humans as much as possible, but with such ceaseless attacks from enemies, it soon became terribly difficult for them to do. So they had to figure out another way to help the humans. The resolution they came up with was to give humans a way to defend themselves." Sona explained further, standing up to walk around the room. "Of course, weapons and turning humans into Angels was the original primary option, but they lacked the discipline or knowledge to use the weapons, and it was hard to weed out who was strong enough to fight and who wasn't. So Metatron, the Blacksmith of Heaven, came up with another solution: the creation of the Stands."

"Wait, so they were able to give people their Stand powers?" Josuke asked thoughtfully.

"That's right. You see, humans contain something special that no Angel or Devil possesses: a soul. Souls are incredible things with untapped potential most of the time, and even the smartest of all the factions were unable to harness this energy within humans God created. You can almost view a soul as an Angel's equivalent to a Nuclear Plant of sorts. Stands are the manifestation of the soul, which is why they are so powerful."

"That's pretty amazing…" Josuke muttered.

"It does depend on one's spirit and willpower, but yes. After all, think back to your fight with the Fallen Angel. You were able to overpower a supernatural being with ease, and you're only a human. By all rights, you should be unable to do so. But your Stand is a testament to their unruly power. Back to the Great War, Metatron constructed several items for unlocking Stands in humans in the form of a Bow and Arrow. It was a dangerous method for doing so, for not all humans were capable of wielding a Stand, and if they couldn't, they would die." Sona continued, making Josuke raise a brow. "But the benefit of the Bow and Arrow was that it could also pick its target, almost as if it felt one's soul calling out to it. With this, the humans finally had a way to fight a far superior enemy, and could be quite dangerous at that. Eventually, the Devils and Fallen Angels were pushed out of Earth and back to our main battlefield, and humans were left in peace once again. Once they were safe, the Angels ceased to create more Stand users, for it would be too dangerous to have so many powerful humans on earth. After time, the Stand users began to fade, and while some bloodlines were strong enough to carry on the power of the Stands, many faded long ago. Which brings us to you." Sona said, motioning to Josuke finally. "I am a bit curious since I've never seen one for myself before. Do you know how you gained your Stand?" She asked curiously.

"No, not really, but I do remember when I first got it. When I was little, I was sick for a little while, and no one could explain why. After I finally recovered, though, I could suddenly see **Crazy Diamond's** arms coming from my body. I thought I was seeing things at first, but when I could touch and move things with it, I knew it was real." Josuke explained, to which Sona nodded.

"I see. Well, so you know, only other Stand users and supernatural beings can see your Stand. Humans without one are completely ignorant to it." Sona declared, causing Josuke to widen his eyes.

"Issei has always been able to see it, though. Is that because of his Sacred Gear thing?" Josuke asked, causing Sona raise a brow in shock.

"Is that so? Well, that is news to me. This is the first known time that a Sacred Gear holder and a Stand user have come into contact before the awakening of the Sacred Gear holder's abilities. His powers were dormant, so it would be expected that he would be unable to see it. I'll have to remember that should I research it any further." Sona surmised, taking a seat again and leaning back in her chair. "Please take note of it in my log, Tsubaki."

"Understood, president." Tsubaki said with a nod.

"You said earlier that Devils and Angels can't have Stands, right?" Josuke asked, turning Sona's attention back to him. "What would happen if a human with a Stand was turned into a Devil? Would they lose it?"

"That is a good question. No, in fact, you would not. In truth, should a Stand user become a Devil or Angel, their powers would stack onto each other, and make them even more powerful. The full potential of Stands is still unknown, but there was one user long ago that did indeed become a Devil once. He died before he could reach his full potential, but that was because the Angels feared what he might become if left unchecked."

"I guess they're not particularly eager about something like that..." Josuke muttered in shock.

"Correct. Your question does make me wonder though, are you interested in becoming a Devil like your friend?" Sona asked with a small smirk, seeing a chance in the conversation.

"Not really, no. I was just wondering what would happen should something like that ever occur." Josuke declared, causing Sona to chuckle.

"You're quite honest. I expected you to be a little conflicted. After all, you would benefit quite a bit from becoming a Devil." Sona stated, crossing her legs. "Firstly, you'd gain unnatural long life that would make your human lifespan seem like a blink of an eye."

"I'm not really interested in living forever. Sounds like I'd lose a lot of family." Josuke countered easily.

"You would not lose your friend, Issei. In fact, should you become a Devil, you could fight side by side with him as long as you wish." Sona retorted, leaning on one hand.

"Maybe, but that would mean being under someone else's rule, wouldn't it?" Josuke asked, his expression rather serious. "Issei didn't really have a choice in the matter, but I do. I want to decide my own path, whether it's fighting for my best friend or die trying. I want it to be **my** choice." Sona and Tsubaki both let out a small breath in surprise. The two glanced at each other before the student council president grinned slightly.

"You're quite an interesting person, Higashikata-san. I can see why Rias doesn't mind having you around despite the fact that you're still a human." Sona said, readjusting her glasses and smiling at Josuke. The tall teen gave a smile of his own.

"You seem like a good person, sempai. Thank you for taking the time to explain all of this information to me." Josuke said, standing from his seat and bowing in appreciation.

"It was no problem at all. It's interesting to meet someone with your abilities." Sona complimented, bowing back.

"I should get going and see what the club is up to." Josuke said as he slung his bag over his shoulder.

"Before you go, there is something I'd like to ask you." Sona declared, causing Josuke to turn back once more. "What do you think of Rias? I don't mean to pry, but we have been friends for a very long time."

Josuke stared at Sona for a short time, mulling over the question in his head. "To be honest, I didn't really trust her at first. I thought she had her own agenda in mind, which she might have still. But now, it's fair to say I trust her." Josuke explained. "She's been nothing but good to Issei and me so far." Suddenly he chuckled and smiled. "Plus, she seems kinda cool."

Sona raised a brow at his answer before giving a small smile. "She is indeed. We have a bit of a rivalry, but know that I have always trusted her. I hope it stays that way with you as well."

"Me too. Anyway, I'd better get going. Again, thank you for telling me all this." Josuke said before waving as he exited the room.

"'Kind of cool' is usually not the impression Rias-sama leaves with most, especially men." Tsubaki commented neutrally.

"It's rare to see a man who thinks with his head and not with the member between his legs. He's smart, but he'd like to lead others to believe otherwise." Sona smirked before turning to several papers on her table and moving onto her work. "Let's keep an eye on him. You never know when an opportunity will present itself that we can cease before Rias does."

* * *

"Hey, I'm back." Josuke announced as he pushed open the door to the Occult Research Club room. At the center of the room, Issei was standing at the center of a glowing red magic circle while the others stood around him and were watching. Josuke was silent as he waited to see what was happening, watching as the red energy enveloped the brunette's body. Suddenly, it disappeared and left Issei to stand there looking like an idiot. Finally the brunette opened his eyes and glanced around in question.

"U-uh, what happened?" Issei asked, looking at the group around him in question. The others gave sympathetic smiles while Rias sighed and rubbed her face.

"Sorry, Issei. But it looks like you can't jump." Rias stated, crossing her arms. "Looks like you'll have to get there manually. We have a couple bikes for you to use if you want."

"So no teleporting? That sucks…" Issei groaned in disappointment.

"What's going on?" Josuke spoke up, turning their attention to him.

"Oh, hey Josuke. I have to go make a contract with someone. I was supposed to be able to teleport there, but…" Issei grumbled, scratching his head.

"It seems that he needs to get used to his new powers before he can take a magic circle." Rias finished for him, making Josuke smother a laugh from escaping.

"Hah! That's lame! You suck." Josuke taunted with a grin.

"Sh-shut up! I'll show you, I'm gonna go make a contract and then rub it in your face!" Issei growled before turning to Rias. "President, where are the bikes at?"

"In the back of the building. Please help yourself." Rias told him with a smile.

"Understood! I'll be back in a bit!" Issei exclaimed, a fire of determination in his eyes. "I'll catch you later, Josuke! When I bring back a contract, you're buying me snacks!"

"Hey, I never agreed to that!" Josuke argued, but the brunette bolted out of the room without another word. The pompadour spotting teen sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I swear, he gets fired up too easily…"

"So, Josuke-kun, how did your meeting with Sona go?" Rias asked, turning his attention back to her as she took a seat behind her desk.

"Oh, it went good. I guess I've got an understanding about where my power comes from. Something to do with bloodlines…" Josuke muttered, mulling over it in his head.

"Sona took a great interest in Stand history when she heard about an incident that occurred around ten years ago involving Stand users." Rias explained, causing Josuke to raise a brow.

"Ten years ago? What happened?" Josuke asked curiously, but Rias shook her head.

"I don't know the details, but Sona does. Should you want to find out more, you can ask her. Careful though, she explained all of this to you as a favor to me. In the future she might expect something in return." Rias explained, causing Josuke to sweat drop.

"Uh, I think I'm good."

"I see. So then, is there anything you need?" Rias asked, leaning back in her chair. Josuke nodded and reached into his bag, rummaging through it.

"Well, since I'm gonna be sticking around here a lot, I thought I might as well turn this in." Josuke declared, pulling out a piece of paper and placing it on the table. "That's my club application."

Rias raised a brow as she grabbed the paper. Both her and Akeno, who stood next to her, examined it themselves. "You know that our club is only a front, Josuke. You didn't have to go out and do that."

"I know, but I thought I might as well have something that makes it official. Hope you don't mind." Josuke stated with a goofy grin. Rias looked up at him for a moment in question before smiling as well, placing the paper back on the table.

"I suppose I shouldn't waste such a gesture, then. Josuke Higashikata, welcome to the Occult Research Club." Rias stated as she stood up and bowed.

"I hope we can continue to get along, Josuke-kun." Akeno added as she mirrored her president's actions.

"Welcome to the club." He heard Koneko say quietly from behind him.

"It should be an interesting experience being club members together, Higashikata-san." Kiba declared, bowing from the opposite side of Josuke. The tall teen smiled before bowing back with his arms placed firmly at his side.

"Thank you for having me, president."

* * *

Across town was an old, abandoned church that was hidden from sight. Very few went near it, for it was almost as if people were warded away from it. This was more or less true, for it was now the home base of Fallen Angels in the area, specifically one named Raynare.

"I can't believe you were defeated by a human, Dohnaseek!" A small blond girl laughed. She wore a gothic attire and long white stockings, her hair held up in a large black bow and twin tails. In front of her was the same Fallen Angel that Josuke had fought the previous day.

"Shut up, Mittelt! You weren't there!" The man now identified as Dohnaseek growled in annoyance.

"Quiet, both of you!" Raynare ordered, drawing their attention to her. She was in her full Fallen Angel outfit, the very revealing black strip armor barely covering her body. "Are you sure the boy was tall, dark skinned and had a weird haircut?"

"That's right. I don't know what his power was, but it was definitely not a Sacred Gear. He was no devil, but he seemed to have knowledge of us." Dohnaseek explained, gripping his hand in frustration. "He had the nerve to declare war on us by himself. He also called **you** out by name."

"I've met him before. He is friends with Issei Hyoudou, the boy with the Sacred Gear that I killed." Raynare explained, crossing her arms over her chest. "I guess it's true that he's still alive. It's a good thing I sent Kalawarner to confirm it. She'll finish him off should she find him."

"So what do we do about this Higashikata boy, then?" Mittelt asked, crossing her legs as she was now sitting on the table in front of them. "Should we all attack him at once?"

"Even if he plans to fight all of us on his own, it'd be dangerous to go after another human in the Gremory clan turf." Raynare said dismissively. "For now, it's best to just keep an eye on him. He may want to fight us, but he has no idea where we are or what our plan is. Mittelt, I want you to spy on him for me. Do not engage, but keep an eye on him. Perhaps we can learn more about his powers and capabilities if we watch close enough."

"Understood. I am also interested in seeing what kind of human could beat one of us." Mittelt smirked, her comment causing Dohnaseek to flinch.

"There is… something else you should know." Dohnaseek declared, causing both to turn to him. "His strength was not the only notable thing about him. It seems he has some sort of… regenerative ability."

"Oh? So he can heal himself?" Raynare asked curiously.

"No, something odder. During our fight, he was able to pierce my chest. I thought I was dead for sure." Dohnaseek explained, causing Mittelt and Raynare to widen their eyes in shock. "But what was weird was when he knocked me away, it was as if I had never been hit. Not only was the blood all gone, but so was the hole in my chest. Oddly enough, he had healed **me**."

"No human should be able to heal a Fallen Angel or a Devil. Twilight Healing is the only ability capable of that." Mittelt argued, but Dohnaseek only shrugged.

"Well he did. How he did it is still a mystery to me, of course."

"There is much we don't know of his abilities, yet. For now, he is not our concern. Our plan to get the next Sacred Gear will be done soon. The girl will be arriving tomorrow." Raynare declared with a smirk. "The last thing I need right now is a distraction. This Josuke Higashikata is just that. I just want eyes on him to make sure we don't have a problem and that he stays out of our way. Understood?"

"Yes." Both Mittelt and Dohnaseek agreed, turning to leave to their own business. Raynare turned around and smiled, glancing up through the main stained glass window. "It looks like I'll get to see my cute little 'boyfriend' again. And this time I'll take his friends life instead of his."

 **To be continued…**

 **Alright, I hope you guys enjoyed that chapter! I know, it was kind of boring. It was my necessary exposition chapter, as I said. I know the origin of the Bow and Arrow is different from the original version, but I figured I might as well make one up. It also gave me a chance to introduce Josuke to Sona, who will be playing a part in the future, but not in any way you might think. I've got a plan for her that's a little separated from what Josuke is going to be up to. Well, that''s it for this one! Please leave a review and follow for me, because the more I see of those, the better I feel about a story! Thank you all!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

 **So I got a bit of a mixed response for the way I handled the origins of the Bow and Arrow and Stands, which left me a bit conflicted at first. Now, I've decided to stick to my guns and leave it as it was. Of course, that doesn't mean everything is EXACTLY like Sona said, but who knows? Guess you'll all have to wait to find out more about anything related to the Stands. Anyway, on with the story!**

 **Oh and so you know, the stars that I put next to certain sentences means I've got a small author's note at the bottom that explains how I felt about a certain scene. check it out, you might find it funny lol**

 **Once again, thanks goes to Sir Godot for being an awesome beta reader. Also I must apologize for getting his name wrong last chapter lol**

Chapter 4

"So this piece moves in an 'L' line? How does that work?" Josuke asked. Currently he was being taught how to play chess by Kiba and Rias, who were sitting on the couch opposite to him. He was learning the fundamentals rather quick, but he seemed to be struggling with the concept of the game itself.

"It's just the way the piece operates. Also, remember that it is the only piece on the board that can jump over other pieces. Even if a piece is in its line of movement, it can move past it without disturbing the other." Kiba explained with a kind smile.

"That's pretty cool…" Josuke muttered as he examined the piece. "The queen is the most powerful piece on the board though, right? Can it jump over pieces as well?"

"It cannot. But it still has the most maneuverability on the board." Akeno explained from the side with a giggle.

"This game is pretty complicated…" Josuke mused as he sat back in the couch and crossed his arms in thought.

"I'm sure you'll be good at it once you've gotten the hang of it." Rias reasoned with a chuckle, but Josuke shook his head.

"I doubt it. I'm only halfway decent at board games…" Josuke mumbled sourly to himself before the door to the room suddenly opened. The group turned to see Issei, panting tiredly from running, leaning on the door frame. "Yo, Issei. How'd the contract go?"

"Are you alright, Issei?" Rias asked in concern, seeing that he was a bit exasperated.

"I-I need to tell you guys something…" Issei gasped, standing up straight and taking a deep breath. Finally, after calming his breathing, he smiled and held up his left arm. "Feast your eyes on my Sacred Gear! I finally unlocked it!"

Josuke stood up and walked over to inspect it. He had to admit, it looked rather cool. It was a crimson red bracer with a large green orb at the wrist. "That's awesome, dude! How'd you unlock it?!"

"Well, that's the other thing. I was just attacked by a Fallen Angel." Issei declared, causing the others to tense.

"Were you hurt or injured in any way?" Rias asked in concern, looking him over closely as she approached him. Issei blushed at the closeness, slightly stepping back and waving his arms around in reassurance.

"I-I'm fine, don't worry." He told her. Rias inspected him closely still, before finally nodding and giving him space again.

"Was it Yuuma?" Josuke asked seriously, his eyes narrowed.

"No, it wasn't her. This one was different." Issei said, raising his arm again. "She attacked me, and I wasn't sure what to do. Thankfully I was able to bring out my Sacred Gear by following the president's advice and thought of the strongest person that came to mind."

"Son Goku?" Josuke asked knowingly.

"You know it!" Issei laughed as they high-fived at the mention of their favorite shounen hero.

"I thought his name was Gon So-"

" **No**!" both Josuke and Issei growled, quickly cutting off Kiba, who sweatdropped.*

"So you were able to chase her off?" Rias asked, quickly getting back to the main subject.

"Did you use the Kamehameha?" Josuke asked hopefully, stars of amazement in his eyes. Issei rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Well, not really… I mean I did sorta unleash some energy that… blew all of her clothes off…" Issei explained, trailing off slightly because he knew what his best friend was likely going to say next. The amazement was all but gone from the pompadour teen's expression, now replaced with one of sheer disappointment.

"Wow. Even your super power is lame and perverted. You suck." Josuke bluntly stated, giving a thumbs-down as his words stabbed through Issei like a knife.

"Sh-shut up! I think it's awesome!" Issei argued, sticking his tongue out. He then turned to Rias in question. "B-but I don't exactly know how to make it go away…"

"Now that you've summoned it, dismissing it should not be a problem. You can now activate or deactivate it at will, just give it a thought." Rias explained. Issei blinked until only a moment later his armored bracer disappeared.

"Oh, good. I was afraid I would have to wear that thing all the time." Issei sighed in relief.

"Amazing, Issei-kun!" Akeno praised, causing the brunette to blush in embarrassment.

"Y-you think so?"

"This has become quite a headache." Rias declared, pulling their attention to her. "The fallen angels have now confirmed that you're alive, and have become a devil. They will come after you again."

"I'm sorry…" Issei muttered regretfully, lowering his head. Josuke listened quietly, his eyes shaded by his hair. He felt his anger boil again, and gripped his arm anxiously.

"Your successful encounter with the fallen angel was a fluke. Do not become overconfident and try to challenge them on your own." Rias ordered him, causing Issei to nod weakly.

"I understand…" Issei muttered. Before he could say another word, Josuke stood up and stretched out.

"Man~, what a pain. I guess I should have been searching them out myself instead of messing around." Josuke stated, rubbing the back of his neck. "Starting tomorrow, I'm gonna start looking for them."

"Josuke-kun, I must say the same to you. Do not get cocky and try challenging them on your own. You're strong, but you cannot do this alone." Rias warned, crossing her arms over her ample breasts.

"I already told you, Rias-sempai. This is between me and the fallen angels." Josuke retorted sternly, crossing his arms. "This is the third time he's been attacked by a fallen angel. I'm starting to get **really** pissed off. I'll protect Issei and all of you, no matter what." Almost right before their eyes, Josuke's demeanor seemed to change. He was quite a calm and friendly person, but like the day before against Dohnaseek, Josuke could flip a switch and immediately become a man with the bearing of a protector.

Rias rarely saw someone like this, even in the world of devils. It both impressed and worried her, for she knew that Josuke's resolve might lead him to do something rather reckless. _He's strong, but anything could happen. He is my friend, and I do not wish to see him harmed_.

"C-come on, Josuke. Let's head out." Issei offered, turning the taller teen's attention to him. As fast as the switch was flipped on, it was flipped back off.

"Sure, I'm ready." Josuke nodded with a smile. "I guess we'll see you all tomorrow, then."

"Please be safe on your trip home." Rias nodded back. "But Issei, I would like a word with you before you go. Josuke, can you give us a moment?"

Josuke and Issei glanced at each other in question, unsure what else she might want to say. "I'll wait for you." Josuke said before heading outside. Rias waited for the door to close before addressing the brunette.

"What is it, president?" Issei asked nervously, thinking he might be scolded further.

"It's about Josuke. I think you should watch him closely and make sure he doesn't do something reckless on his own." Rias declared, causing Issei to widen his eyes.

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"This whole time, Josuke has been worried about you changing who you are because of being reborn as a devil. Do you think it's possible that he may have changed a bit?" Rias asked thoughtfully, crossing her legs in front of her.

"Who, Josuke? No, not really. He's always been protective like that. This has just been a little more than anything either of us has dealt with, is all." Issei explained, causing Rias to hum in thought.

"I see. But do you really think he'll stay that way after killing Raynare?" Rias pointed out, causing Issei to hitch his breath slightly. "He is still a human, and taking a life is not an easy thing. Even for a man like him. Do you really think that Josuke can walk away from something like that as the same man?" She asked curiously, causing the brunette to remain silent. For a long moment, he didn't answer, his eyes shaded by his hair. When Rias thought he might not have an answer, she was ready to let him leave. Until finally, he laughed.

"I really wonder about that…" Issei mused aloud, a small smile etching at the corner of his mouth.

"What do you mean?" Rias asked curiously, surprised by his reaction.

"Well… for as long as I've known Josuke, he's always been the toughest guy I know. But you know what? He's also the nicest guy I know." Issei declared, causing Rias to raise a brow. "Josuke is a huge softie at heart. He acts really tough, but… in the end, I don't think he'll do it."

"Is that so? He seems quite set on doing it." Rias pointed out, to which Issei nodded.

"He's definitely going to kick her ass when he finds her." Issei agreed, but he smiled thoughtfully. "But I know Josuke. It's part of why he's the coolest guy ever." The brunette chuckled. Rias could only stare at Issei in mute wonder. She knew that they were close, but such trust and understanding between two men that seemed very different still mystified her. Not to mention the rest of her peerage. Finally Rias let out a sigh and smiled.

"Well, if you believe so, then who am I to argue? You may go. I will see you tomorrow, Issei." Rias said, the brunette nodding before taking his leave. Outside the door Josuke was leaning against the wall in boredom, raising a brow as Issei came into sight.

"What else did she want?" He asked, but the brunette only waved his hand in front of him dismissively.

"Nothing big, don't worry. Let's go." Issei answered as the two started to head out.

"If you say so." Josuke shrugged. Issei glanced at the taller teen from the side, Rias' warning bothering him a bit. He believed Josuke was the same as he had always been. But what if the crimson haired girl was right? What if Josuke did kill Raynare? Would he become a different man?

"Is something wrong?" Josuke suddenly asked, pulling Issei from his thoughts. The brunette quickly shook his head.

"N-no, nothing at all! You just seemed kinda tense in there." Issei half lied, rubbing the back of his head. Josuke glanced away in thought for a moment before nodding.

"I guess I'm just stressing over the fallen angel thing. I didn't think you'd run into another one so quickly." Josuke admitted, his gaze returning to Issei. "Maybe you shouldn't go out on these contracts alone next time. I may not be a devil, but I can at least go around with you."

"Geez, what are you? My mother?" Issei joked, nudging him with his elbow. "Come on, man. I'll be fine. Remember that I've got a cool power now, right?" He reminded him, summoning his Sacred Gear to his arm.

"A weapon that blows people's clothes off. I'm sure you'll be just fine." Josuke retorted with a snicker.

"It's the perfect weapon, isn't it?" Issei sighed contently, hugging his arm caringly. Josuke could only laugh at his answer, offering a goofy grin. Issei smiled at this, happy to see Josuke in a better mood now.

"By the way," Josuke started as he ceased his laughter. "How'd the contract go? You didn't really talk about it when you got back."

At the mention of the contract, Issei tensed up in embarrassment. "Uh, well… I wasn't exactly able to make one with the guy…"

"What happened?" Josuke questioned curiously.

"Well, the guy was a major otaku. Apparently he summons Koneko usually to cosplay in outfits for him. So obviously I couldn't do that." Issei explained, causing Josuke to grimace.

"That's… pretty weird." He muttered in slight disgust.

"Yeah. In the end, we just talked about Dragon Ball all night." Issei sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "I think that the president knew. She seemed pretty disappointed with me tonight."

"Oh man, that really sucks. What a bummer… So, you gonna buy me snacks now?" Josuke asked hopefully, causing Issei to stumble.

"Wh-what?! Why would I do that?" Issei asked, dumbfounded.

"Well, before you left you said that if you got a contract I'd have to buy you snacks. So by that logic, that means you have to buy me snacks because you **didn't** , right?" Josuke reasoned with a wry smile.

"N-no! I wasn't-I mean-but you…" Issei trailed off, trying to find a way out of spending money.

"I would very much like some pocky sticks. Thanks Issei, you're the best." Josuke snickered as he patted Issei on the shoulder before walking toward a nearby convenience store.

"Jo-Josuke! Wait! I don't have that much money on me though…" Issei whined, tears streaming down his cheeks as he slowly started to walk after his best friend. Finally he sighed and accepted his fate, smiling as he watched Josuke enter the store. _Don't ever change, bro. I need you more than you need me._

* * *

The next day came rather quickly. Josuke and Issei were back to their normal routine of heading to school together. This time it seemed that Rias would not be joining them, something that caused Issei to sigh. He felt that he had disappointed the crimson haired devil by not only fighting with the fallen angel, but also by failing to make a contract. It had weighed more on his mind than he expected, for he felt ashamed about disappointing Rias.

"What is it this time?" Josuke asked with a raised brow.

"I feel like I let Rias-sempai down." Issei explained, glancing at the tall teen. "I really wish I had gotten that contract yesterday so that I didn't just bring her bad news…"

"Hey, man. It's not a big deal. It was your first try after all. I'm sure she's more concerned about your fight with the fallen angel than with the contract." Josuke speculated, attempting to comfort the brunette. "And even if she is, oh well. Just make it up to her tonight and get a contract."

"Yeah, maybe you're right…" Issei murmured in thought.

"Ow!" The two heard behind them, causing them to turn. What they saw put a large smile on Issei's face and a blush on Josuke's. In front of them a girl seemed to have tripped and fallen down face first, her long black dress covering her back and exposing her white panties to those around. "How did I fall over…?" She mumbled painfully to herself. She turned over to sit up, revealing herself to be a nun.

"Oh man, those white panties are amazing…" Issei mumbled as he gawked at the young blond.

"Oi, she's a nun! Have some respect!" Josuke whisper-shouted, nudging him with his elbow. He started to head over to help her up, but Issei rushed over before he could reach her, far more interested in speaking with the girl.

"Are you okay?" Issei asked, offering a hand to help her up. Josuke raised a brow before sighing, deciding to just let his friend do as he wished. _At least he's trying to be courteous now._

"Why thank you…" The girl said, taking his hand and helping herself up. As she did though, the veil on top of her head was blown away by the wind, giving Issei and Josuke a better look at her. She had back length straight blond hair and green eyes, and was very attractive.

 _So cute…_ Issei mused in thought, almost entranced by her.

"U-um…" The girl muttered, bringing him out of his thoughts. He looked down to see that he was still holding her hand, making him quickly release her.

"S-sorry about that!" He apologized awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Smooth." Josuke deadpanned, causing the brunette to tense up. The blond cast her gaze down, an awkward silence accompanying them now. Thankfully, the wind picked up yet again, carrying the veil further away.

"O-one sec!" Issei said, running after it. Josuke sighed, summoning one of **Crazy Diamond's** arms and using it to reach out and catch the veil for Issei. It handed it to the brunette, who smiled in appreciation. He quickly ran back over to the girl, holding out the veil to her.

"Here you go!" He offered, smiling as kindly as possible. He blinked as he noticed that she was staring at Josuke now, who raised a brow.

"Is something wrong?" The tall teen asked, noticing her gaze.

"Just now… I thought I saw an arm…" She mumbled, causing Josuke and Issei to widen their eyes. She stared for a few seconds longer until she noticed Issei holding her hat out, quickly taking it and smiling at the brunette.

"Thank you very much!" She said in appreciation, putting it on top of her head. She seemed to forget what she had seen, thinking that she most likely imagined it.

 _Is it me or did that girl see **Crazy Diamond**_ _?_ Josuke asked himself, a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek.

"No problem at all…" Issei assured, rubbing his head sheepishly. _I've got to keep this conversation going. She's definitely my type! Something to say…_ "I-isn't the weather nice today…?" He asked suddenly, finding little coming to mind. _Damn it, I sound like an old woman!_ He mentally groaned, casting his glance back at Josuke. _Help me out man!_ The brunette mentally shouted, trying to gain the taller teens attention. He and Josuke were good at reading each other's facial expressions and could usually pick up what the other was trying to say.

Josuke blinked for a moment as he noticed Issei's pleading look. Instead of offering his help though, he merely smiled cheekily and waved, his own message clearly being relayed: _You're on your own_.

Issei started to cry crocodile tears, knowing that his friend was now leaving him out to dry. "U-um…" The blond suddenly spoke up, causing both boys to turn to her in question. "I-I seem to have gotten lost, and I need help getting around…" She explained softly, looking at the two with a sheepish smile. Issei was taken by surprise from her plea, but this time Josuke spoke up, wrapping an arm around Issei's shoulders.

"My friend here would love to show you around, missy!" Josuke exclaimed, causing the brunette to widen his eyes in shock. "I would love to join you two, but I've gotta get to school early," he lied, looking at his non-existent watch. "You've got this, right?"

"O-oh! Um-yes! I know this town very well. Please allow me to lead you to where you want." Issei offered, making the blond smile in appreciation.

"Thank you very much! I hope I'm not a bother." She said bowing in appreciation.

"I'll see you at school Issei. Try not to be late." Josuke reminded him as he started to wave goodbye and take his leave of the two.

"Sorry for the trouble!" The nun called out with a kind smile.

"See you at school!" Issei said as he gave a thumbs-up, flashing a sparkling grin. _Thanks for the help, Josuke! You're the best!_ was what his expression said. Josuke gave his own thumbs-up and a goofy grin, his reading as _you know it!_

As the two left his view, the pompadour spotting teen let out a chuckle. "He probably needs a good girl like that in his life," he mused, that is until a thought suddenly popped in his head. "I wonder if it's okay for a devil to hang around a nun though…" He pondered, holding his chin. "... Ah, I'm sure it's fine. I doubt it would start a war or anything…"

* * *

"It is most definitely **not** fine."

"... Shit." Josuke cursed as he rubbed the back of his head.

After school, Issei and Josuke had met back up again. He had explained to him and the others about the odd feeling he got when the Church came into view, and the strange powers that the girl, now identified as Asia Argento, possessed. Of course, the most disturbing news apparently was the fact that Issei was so close to a nun to begin with. Going near the church was supposedly even worse. "Sorry, man. I had no idea…"

"It's not your fault. You were just trying to help out." Issei sighed, casting his gaze down. Asia was very nice, and he had quite enjoyed the short time he had spent with her.

"Come with me, Issei. I will explain why you need to be more wary of the church." Rias said, standing up from her desk and leading the brunette out. Josuke was tempted to follow, but the redhead only glanced back at him. "Josuke, stay here. This is a conversation between master and servant."

"Uh… okay, got it, president." Josuke agreed, sparing a glance at Issei before heading back to the couch and taking a seat. After the two left and closed the door, the tall teen released a tired breath.

"Were you scolded?" Akeno said from behind him, causing Josuke to jump in surprise.

"Geez, where did you come from?!" Josuke asked in exasperation. Akeno only giggled, offering a kind smile.

"Did something happen that made the president upset?" Akeno pushed again, causing Josuke to calm down. He bit his bottom lip and grunted, relaxing in the couch.

"You could say that. I guess Issei was talking to the wrong person." Josuke explained, making Akeno tilt her head in question.

"I see. But why do you seem upset?" Akeno wondered aloud.

"Well, I sort of encouraged him to talk with the girl. It didn't seem like a bad thing at the time." Josuke grumbled, rubbing his neck. "I like to laugh at Issei when he gets himself into trouble, but I feel bad if it's my fault he's in trouble."

"She's just worried, Josuke-kun. She's not upset with Issei or anything." Akeno assured him, causing the tall teen to glance back at her in question. "She's just trying to look out for him and you. Of course, since Issei is her servant, she holds him to a higher standard because he represents her out there. But know that she does it because she cares."

Josuke was silent for a moment, turning his gaze away from Akeno and leaning on his right hand. "Yeah, I guess you're right…" he mumbled. The two were interrupted as Issei and Rias returned to the room.

"Akeno? I thought you already returned home?" Rias asked, raising a brow in question.

"We received a message from the Archduke." Akeno explained, her expression becoming serious as she narrowed her eyes. "It seems there is a stray devil on the loose they would like us to take care of."

Rias released a small grunt, scrunching her brow before nodding. "I understand. Akeno, call Yuuto and Koneko here so that we may depart soon. Issei, get ready. We have a mission to do tonight."

"Mind if I come?" Josuke asked, glancing up at the crimson haired girl. Akeno and Rias shared a look before the raven haired girl took her leave. Rias let out a sigh and shook her head.

"Josuke-kun, this is a mission for us devils to do. I don't want to risk the chance of you getting hurt." Rias answered, crossing her arms.

"I know I'm not part of your peerage, but I'd like to help you guys out if I can." Josuke retorted, rising from the couch and shoving his hands in his pockets. "You know I won't get in your way. I'll beat the shit outta whatever comes at me."

"But it doesn't have anything to do with the fallen angels. Are you sure you're interested in going?" Rias asked, to which Josuke only shrugged.

"Well, this isn't about me. It's about helping my friends out when they need me." The pompadour spotting teen countered. Rias was silent for a moment, assessing the idea in thought.

"Come on, president! You saw how Josuke manhandled that fallen angel. He just wants to help." Issei also added. Finally, Rias hummed in agreement.

"I suppose it's alright. This would give you the chance to understand devils and the rest a bit more." She sighed before smiling. "But if you're going to come along, understand that this is my mission and that you must follow my instructions in the field. Understood?"

"Great! No problem!" Josuke agreed, giving a thumbs-up. Issei grinned as well, feeling comfort in the fact that Josuke would be accompanying them.

"Good. Now please hold out your hand. There is something I must do if you're to join us." Rias instructed, to which Josuke nodded and did as he was told. Rias pulled out a small black marker and started to draw a magic circle on his hand.

"What's this for?" Josuke asked curiously.

"We're going to be teleporting to the location of the stray Devil. To do that you need the mark of the Gremory house on you as well." Rias explained as she meticulously continued to draw. "Since you're not a devil or my servant, I must draw it by hand. This will allow you to travel with us."

"But I thought Issei couldn't jump. Are you sure I'll be able to?" Josuke pointed out, causing the brunette to slump over in shame. "Don't remind me…"

"That was because he went alone and is inexperienced with his powers." Rias declared as she started to finish the magic circle. "You'll be traveling with our entire group, so it shouldn't be a problem for either of you. There, done."

"Thanks, prez." Josuke said in appreciation, looking at his hand. "So what's this about a stray devil?"

* * *

Deep in the outskirts of town was a small forest. In its outer rim, there were several abandoned buildings left behind to rot after the town had started to develop further inland. Now it was just a place surrounded by urban legends, ones that spoke of monsters that ate humans. While many dusted this off as a made up story, every now and then someone would disappear after entering the abandoned buildings inexplicably. Nearby one of these buildings a large red magic circle appeared, and from it the Occult Research Club appeared.

"Stray devils are those who were once servants to other devils." Kiba explained, a beautiful sword now at his hip.

"Like us?" Issei figured out, to which the blond nodded in confirmation.

"Sometimes, servant devils will betray or kill their master, so that they can live and do whatever they please. That's what we call a 'Stray Devil'." Kiba finished, making both Issei and Josuke nod in understanding.

"This is the place. Apparently the stray devil has been luring humans inside and devouring them." Akeno explained, causing Issei to gasp.

"E-eat them?!" He repeated in shock.

"Sounds like a good thing we're here then." Josuke quietly growled, a hardened glare leveled at the building.

"That is our mission. Find the stray and dispose of it." Rias stated as she took the lead, the group following soon after her.

"You will now both witness the utter monstrosity that is created when one abuses their demonic power and is without a master." Kiba declared, causing Josuke and Issei to glance back at him in question.

"What do you mean? Do they lose control or something?" Josuke asked thoughtfully.

"You'll see." Kiba said cryptically, causing the two friends to glance at each other in wonder before continuing forward. The group proceeded into the torn up building, closing the door as they entered.

"Issei, have you ever heard of the game chess?" Rias asked out of the blue.

"I have!" Josuke said proudly, despite the fact that he only learned it the previous day.

"O-oh um, yes I have. The board game?" Issei replied, unsure why she brought it up.

"I, the master, am the king." Rias declared, causing Issei and Josuke to raise a brow in question. "There's the queen, the knight, the rook, the bishop and the pawn. Devils from the aristocracy assign the traits of each of these pieces to their subordinates."

"'Traits of the pieces'?" Issei repeated dumbly, blinking in question.

"You guys really like chess, huh?" Josuke muttered with a sweat drop.

"We call them Evil Pieces." Rias stated, ignoring Josuke's comment as she started to search around the room with her eyes.

"Why would you need to do that?" Issei wondered aloud, but again Rias ignored the statement.

"For now, stay back and observe how devils fight. The same goes for you, Josuke. I know you're strong, but this could help you learn more about us as well." Rias ordered, to which both boys nodded.

"Yes, president." Issei agreed.

"You're the boss." Josuke added, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"She's here." Koneko quickly said, causing the group to turn their attention back forward. From the dark of the building, a figure could be made out slightly, and it approached closer.

"I smell something bad. At the same time, I smell something delicious!" An ominous voice said that was getting louder as the figure was starting to come into view. "Will it be sweet? Or will it be bitter?" It growled, and finally it came into view. At first they could only see the upper body of a woman that was completely naked, immediately causing Issei to blush and grin, while Josuke's reaction was far more embarrassed.

"Boobs!" Issei cheered as he blew air out of his nose, while Rias and the rest of her peerage were mentally preparing for battle.

"My eyes! My innocent, virgin eyes!" Josuke cried out childishly as he covered his eyes with his forearm.*

"Be a man and accept the view given to you!" Issei glowered at the pompadour spotting teen in determination.

"Go to hell! I'm not you!" Josuke retorted, still refusing to look.

"Stray devil type: Visor." Rias stated analytically, causing Josuke to peek out from his arm to look at the crimson haired girl. "Nefarious beings who separate from their master so that they can fulfill their own desires. They more than deserve death." She then pointed at the stray devil with a leveled glare. "In the name of Duke Gremory, I will kick your ass!"

"Huh. That's not something I ever expected her to say…" Josuke muttered with a sweat drop.

"What an insolent girl. I will cover you in blood as red as your hair!" The demon retorted, fondling her breasts in excitement.

"A line as witty as I'd expect from a small fry." Rias chuckled tauntingly.

"Th-this is a stray devil?" Issei began seriously, immediately dropping such an expression as he started to breath a bit heavily and blush. "She seems to just be an exhibitionist!"

"Oi, be serious! I'm pretty sure she wants to kill us!" Josuke scolded, despite the fact that he was still covering his face with his arm.

"What's this? A human amongst you? He smells quite appetizing." The stray devil laughed, licking her lips as she eyed Josuke specifically.

"Shit! She noticed me!" The pompadour spotting teen said in a panic, lowering his arm in the shock. Suddenly the rest of her body came from out of the shadow, revealing a disturbing large lower body covered in fur and with long hand like appendages and a snake for a tail. "And it's really disgusting!"

"Wh-what the hell?!" Issei shouted in disturbance, the hot image he once had of the stray devil now gone for the most part.

"I told you." Kiba chuckled as he drew his sword. "They become ugly monsters in both body and heart."

"B-but she has such great boobs! It's such a wast-" Issei complained until he started to see a dim light surround the monsters… nipples. "I-is that a magic circle?!"

The monster started to laugh maniacally, the magic circles around her breasts starting to spin at high speeds before… shooting out lasers. Immediately, Rias and her peerage were on the move, quickly getting out of the way of her attack. Josuke quickly summoned **Crazy Diamond** and grabbed Issei, pulling him into cover.

"Move!" Josuke growled as he took his friend and moved them both into cover behind a pillar. Issei looked up to see the lasers impact on the wall, and causing them to melt away.

"M-man, she is a monster!" Issei gaped in shock.

"Don't let your guard down." Rias told him, turning to order one of her peerage to act now.

"Guys… did you see what she just did?" Josuke asked quietly, his eyes shaded by his hair.

"Y-yes, of course we did! We all saw it!" Issei quickly retorted. Josuke's expression was still grave, not bothering to look at them yet.

"She just shot… lasers… from her tits…" Josuke muttered to himself, causing both Rias and Issei to raise a brow in question.

"Um… yeah… is something wrong?" His friend asked in wonder, unsure where he was going with this.

"Issei…" Josuke once again said, glancing up at his best friend with one of the most serious expressions he had ever adorned, and even caused Issei to gulp.

"Y-yes?"

"... That is the stupidest shit I've ever seen in my life." Josuke declared with the manliest JoJo expression he ever made.*

Immediately Issei fell face first into the ground, all the build up now gone. _Did you really have to get so serious over **that**_ _?!_ From the side, he could see Rias slightly trembling, hunched over as she sat on one knee and faced away from the two of them.

"Y-Yuuto, move forward." Rias ordered, slightly covering her mouth. From what the brunette could tell, it looks as if she had almost laughed from Josuke's reaction, but was also trying to remain serious. _Yeah, if I wasn't so shocked, I probably would have laughed from Josuke's reaction too._ Issei thought with a small chuckle.

Ignoring the fact that he wanted to laugh as well, Kiba wordlessly did as he was ordered, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

"He's gone!" Issei exclaimed, looking around for the blond.

"He's so fast that you can't see him." Rias explained, standing up and becoming calm and focused once again. "Yuuto represents the knight, so his trait is speed and his strongest weapon is a sword." As she finished, Kiba reappeared once again in front of the stray devil, and with a swift movement, lobbed off its large arms.

"Holy crap, that was awesome!" Josuke gasped as he peeked from cover to watch. He seemed to be back to his real self, having overcome the sheer stupidity of the nipple lasers now. Suddenly Koneko stepped forward, making Issei and Josuke pale in worry.

"It's dangerous, Koneko-chan!" Issei warned, but the small white haired girl made no movement. The stray devil took notice of her, and in anger started to become more beastly looking and its chest started to open like a large mouth.

"Oi! Get back!" Josuke shouted this time, standing to jump out of his cover. Rias quickly stopped him with a raised arm though, looking quite calm as Koneko was apparently chomped on in the mouth of the Stray Devil. Both Issei and Josuke gawked in shock, but Rias only smiled.

"Don't worry." She said, causing the two to blink. Suddenly the stray devil's mouth started to slowly open, and in a quick moment it was forced open. At the center, Koneko could be seen pushing the teeth away.

"N-no way!" Issei gaped, his jaw dropping in shock.

"Koneko represents the rook." Rias started again. "Her traits are simple: tremendous strength and defensive ability. An attack like that won't even scratch her."

"Begone." Koneko said quietly, quickly spinning around before launching a powerful fist into the monster's gut. The impact knocked out several of its teeth, and launched it away from the small girl and through a pillar. Her clothes were now torn and tattered, but she herself was unharmed.

"Remind me never to fight with Koneko-chan…" Issei muttered to Josuke, the pompadour spotting teen nodding in agreement. "Same here…"

"Akeno." Rias said, glancing at the black haired girl.

"Yes, president." Akeno said, a serene smile on her face as she walked forward. "Oh my, what should I do?"

As the group watched Akeno approach the fallen stray devil, Issei noticed in the corner of his eye the fallen arm starting to move around. He widened them in shock as it started to quickly launch itself forward and attempted to strike Rias.

"President, watch out!" Issei called out, quickly summoning his crimson bracer. " **Sacred Gear**!" He growled, delivering a swift punch to the disembodied arm and keeping it from touching her. Rias was surprised, and even fell back onto her butt.

"Th-thank you…" She muttered, still a bit shocked by the attack.

"Nice reaction, brother! Seems like you're not so bad with that thing." Josuke praised, standing up and giving a thumbs-up.

"W-well, I just acted on instinct is all…" Issei said bashfully, rubbing the back of his head as he felt slightly proud. Rias seemed to be over it now though, walking past the both of them and glancing at Akeno.

"Akeno, finish it off." Rias ordered.

"A bad girl who tries to harm our president needs to be punished." Akeno almost giggled, sending a chill down Josuke's spine.

"Why do I feel like she said that with too much enjoyment…?" Josuke muttered, causing Rias to smirk.

"She is the queen, the almighty vice commander with the combined traits of all the other pieces." Rias explained as Akeno's hand lit up with electricity like they had once before. The disgusting monster on the ground made groans of pain as it attempted to push itself up.

"Oh my, it seems you still have a bit of energy left." Akeno chuckled, raising her hands in the air as the electricity this time surrounded her body. It was then unleashed from the palm of her hands into a giant bolt of lightning that encompassed the devil's entire body and made it cry out in pain.

"She specializes in attacks using demonic powers. On top of that…" Rias trailed off as she watched Akeno continue her attack.

"Ara ara, it seems you're still kicking." Akeno giggled, licking her lips and a blush adorning her cheeks as she unleashed another bolt.

"... She's a complete sadist." Rias finished, causing Josuke to trip on his own feet and fall face first.

" **What** **?!** "

"I wonder how much more you can bear?" Akeno asked the devil as she continued to shock it, laughing sadistically as she did so.

"She's laughing…" Issei muttered, his shoulders slumped over.

"I think I'm now more scared of her than anyone…" Josuke declared with a sweat drop, taking a step back in fear.

"Akeno, that's enough." Rias ordered, and without hesitation the queen ceased her attack, the stray devil falling to the ground.

"Are we already done?" Akeno asked, turning around and revealing a very dreamy expression. "That's a little disappointing~!"

"Yep. Definitely the scariest. And weirdest…" Josuke muttered, his eye twitching unconsciously.

"Ara ara, what was that Josuke?" Akeno asked innocently.

"Nothing!" He quickly dismissed, waving his arms around. Rias ignored the two as she walked up to the fallen devil, placing her hands on her hips.

"Any last words?" She asked. The devil gasped for air, glancing up at the crimson haired girl.

"I-if I'm gonna die…" It muttered before suddenly lashing out with one of its spare appendages toward Josuke. "I'll at least go out with a meal!"

"Josuke!" Issei cried out as it approached.

"Crap, she's coming for me!" The pompadour spotting teen cried, summoning **Crazy Diamond**. Before it could touch him though, the devil made one last mistake.

"I'll be sure to use your shitty hair to brush my teeth!" It cackled. Immediately, a vein popped on top of Josuke's head, and **Crazy Diamond** caught the appendage without trouble.

"Josuke! Careful!" Rias warned, but Issei quickly grabbed Rias and pulled her back.

"Everyone, **stay away** from Josuke!" Issei warned in fear, causing the peerage to blink in question.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Rias asked.

"Oi, devil bitch." Josuke muttered before glancing up. His expression was deadly, and was almost as dangerous as the time he tried to attack Rias. The crimson haired girl widened her eyes as Josuke seemed to be surrounded by a dark aura. "What the **fuck** did you just say about my hair?"

"Huh?" The peerage collectively said in confusion.

"I'm sorry guys, but I forgot to warn you about a big flaw in Josuke's personality…" Issei gulped as he watched Josuke use **Crazy Diamond** tear the appendage to pieces. "If you say anything about his hair… he loses it."

"Wh-what?" Rias said in disbelief. Josuke started to slowly approach the stray Devil, making it whimper in fear as it started to crawl away.

"Wh-what? What the hell is wrong with him? Wh-why is a human so strong?" It cried out in fear. Josuke ignored its words, walking past the group.

"Josuke-kun? Are you…" Akeno started to ask, but the pompadour spotting teen did not stop to acknowledge her.

"Anyone who talks shit about my hair gets their face broken, bitch." Josuke declared darkly, causing the monster to shiver in fear.

"J-just kill me then! I've had enough!" It pleaded, unable to fight back or run anymore. Josuke just stood over the distraught devil, his eyes shaded by his hair.

"Is that so? Well that's not good." Josuke said, and without even moving he started to heal the devil. Its body parts even started to come back to its body. Rias and the others gaped when they saw this, thinking the teen crazy.

"Josuke-kun! What are you-" Rias started to protest until Issei stopped her again and shook his head.

"It's no use, sorry. But just wait, it's not what you think…" He sighed, causing her to raise a brow before turning back to watch the scene unfold.

"Everyone… stay back…" Rias ordered hesitantly, her peerage at first ready to attack.

"I-I'm being healed?!" The Visor muttered as it was finally put back together. It started to laugh maniacally as it stood up at full height, stooping over Josuke now. "What a fool! I don't know what you did, but now I'm back to my full power! I guess I'll get to devour you after-"

 **DORA!** In that instant, the stray Devil felt the newly fixed teeth from her body jaw break into pieces as Josuke's Stand reappeared and slammed its fist into it. She buckled over in pain, unable to speak again.

"I healed you so that it was fair. After all, what kinda man would I be if I kicked someone while they were down?" Josuke asked with an expression that was almost void of emotion save for anger. "But now that you're all healed, I won't feel bad at all for beating the shit outta you."

"Y-you… you little bastard!" It growled as it raised its arm to strike. Josuke didn't give it a moment to do much more. **Crazy Diamond** reappeared behind him again and unleashed an unrelenting fist rush.

 **DORARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARA!** It roared as it laid out a cruel beatdown, instantly breaking almost every bone in the stray devil's body. It almost went numb from the pain and was unable to fight back as Josuke continued to completely wreck it. Finally, **Crazy Diamond** cocked its arm back for one final strike. **DORA~!** it cried out, landing one final strike that sent it flying backwards through the wall, tearing it down like it was made of cardboard.

"No one talks shit about my hair and gets away with it." Josuke declared darkly, pulling out a comb from his pocket and putting his hair back into place after calming down from his rage. He turned back to look at his friends, who could only gape in complete shock at his huge personality change. Issei sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he knew this would happen. For a moment the dark aura lingered above Josuke, and Rias was unsure of whether or not he was going to attack them at this point.

"So, we ready to go?" Josuke asked with a goofy grin as the aura disappeared from above him. Rias and her peerage fell forward.

"J-Josuke-kun… you have a very dangerous personality…" Rias finally said, sighing as she started to walk past him toward the stray devil.

"Ara ara, it seems you have more in common with devils than you think, Josuke-kun." Akeno giggled as the shock she felt earlier was now gone.

"You're crazy." Koneko added quietly, making the pompadour spotting teen sweat drop.

"You do have a rather interesting trigger." Kiba said with a sheepish chuckle.

"I was hoping you might not do this so soon…" Issei muttered, patting Josuke on the shoulder. "But then again it's probably better they saw this sooner than later."

"Did I really go that overboard?" Josuke asked curiously, feeling no guilt despite the question.

"What do you think?" Issei drawled, rolling his eyes. High above the abandoned building, a certain blond fallen angel could only gape in total shock after watching the beat down. When she had heard about Dohnaseek's defeat at the hands of a human, Mittelt thought it had just been blind luck. Now she had seen that this was no joke, and that Josuke was a very real threat. If he were able to find them on his own, he would become a very dangerous enemy for them. Suddenly she thought back to the fight and a revelation popped inside of her head.

"He's strong…. really strong. But I think… I've seen a kink in his armor." Mittelt chuckled, despite the fact that she was still sweating in fear. "I think I should report my finding to Raynare." She said before turning away and flying off toward her base.

"P-please kill me… I can't take anymore…" The stray Devil begged Rias from the ground, unable to move a single part of her body.

"As you wish, you shall vanish." Rias agreed, summoning a large red magic circle in front of her and unleashing a powerful black ball of energy. "Checkmate." It turned the stray devil into dust, and immediately turned into nothing before their eyes.

"Wow, that was pretty cool…" Josuke mused in awe, raising a brow.

"You can say that after the show you just put on?" Rias asked with a chuckle as she turned back to the others. "We're done here. Let's head home everyone," she said with a smile.

"Yes, president." The peerage agreed in unison, causing Issei to glance around in question. As they started to leave, Issei suddenly had a question pop up in his head.

"U-um, president…" He spoke up, grabbing her attention. "What piece do I represent?"

"The pawn." She answered simply, turning away to walk off with the others.

"Pawn? As in…" Issei trailed off sourly.

"That's right. You're a foot soldier." Rias declared with a smile.

"I-I'm that low ranking?" Issei muttered in disappointment. _No way!_ He cried out mentally, trying his best to hide his sadness at such a revelation.

"That's lame." Josuke chuckled, causing Issei to stumble and nearly fall over.

"Don't rub it in..." Issei whined as he slumped over and followed after the others. Josuke could only chuckle again as he walked after him. He glanced around and caught sight of Koneko. Her clothes were still tattered and she was exposed in several places that made Josuke slightly tense up.

"O-oi, Koneko-chan. Hold still for a sec." Josuke told her, causing the small girl to glance at him in question. Several seconds later, her clothes were restored to their natural state, and were not even dirty from the fight anymore. She blinked in surprise, looking over her body to see what he had fixed.

"Great! All better!" Josuke grinned, giving a thumbs-up to the small girl.

"I thought you could only heal people?" Koneko asked curiously.

"Well, that's part of my power. You could say that 'fixing' things is a more accurate way of putting it." Josuke explained, making her raise a brow. Koneko glanced at her body again and offered a small smile.

"Thank you." She said in appreciation, bowing politely.

"No problem. Glad to help." He replied before the two followed the others out.

* * *

The night from that point had come and gone, and the next progressed like any other. Issei was currently out on a contract assigned to him since Koneko had her own. Josuke had his own plans, though. Like he had said the day before last, he was going to start his own search for the fallen angels. Rias had protested such a reckless idea, but Josuke was immovable. Seeing that he was so set on leaving, Rias gave in and let him do as he pleased. But fearing for his safety, Rias was able to convince the dark skinned teen to take one of them along with him.

"I'm really sorry about this, Koneko-chan." Josuke apologized as they left the school. Koneko was assigned to help him once she returned from her contract. "I was planning to do this on my own, but-"

"It's okay." Koneko quietly dismissed, shaking her head. "We're club members. I don't mind."

Josuke raised a brow before offering a kind smile and nodding. "Well, if you're okay with it, then I won't complain." He turned forward to keep walking, but then stopped suddenly. Koneko glanced up at him curiously, wondering why he did so.

"What is it?" She asked, causing the teen to gulp.

"I know I sounded all tough a little while ago about finding the fallen angels, but…" Josuke trailed off, scratching the back of his head. "I really don't know where to start."

Koneko stared at him for a long moment, her expression unreadable. "Idiot." She said suddenly, causing him to fall forward in embarrassment.

"I swear, I'm not! I just didn't think this all the way through…" Josuke exclaimed, muttering the last part. Koneko started to walk past him, causing him to turn. "Wh-where are you going?"

"We'll walk through the town. Perhaps I can pick up their scent or feel their energy." Koneko declared, causing Josuke to gasp in amazement.

"Seriously? You can do that? You're pretty amazing, Koneko-chan!" Josuke said, bowing in appreciation before following her.

"It's not a problem." She dismissed neutrally. From then on, the two walked in silence. At first, Josuke was content with letting her take the lead and remaining silent. He didn't want to distract her and thought it best to keep quiet. This kept on for a while as they went through town, and eventually Josuke started to get a bit bored. She hadn't made a peep since they left, and made no indication that she sensed anything. Finally, after about two hours of aimless walking, Josuke sighed and gave in.

"So not a thing yet, huh?" Josuke asked tiredly, all of the walking starting to wear him down.

"No. I haven't felt or smelled any scents so far." Koneko explained, causing Josuke to sigh.

"I guess this is going to be harder than I hoped…" Josuke muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "Why don't we take a break? I'll get you a snack if you want."

Koneko stopped in her tracks and glanced back at him in question. "You don't have to do that. I can keep going."

"I'm sure you can, but it is getting dark." Josuke shrugged, glancing up at the dimly lit sky. "I'm sure you've got your own things to do, so I don't wanna take up all your time. I'd also like to at least pay you back for helping me, too."

Koneko was quiet again as she seemed to ponder the idea before nodding. "Okay. I would like a snack." She agreed, making Josuke grin.

"Great! Anything in particular you would like? Pocky sticks maybe?" Josuke asked as he glanced around to find a convenience store.

"Chocolate donuts, if they have them." Koneko informed him. Josuke nodded, pointing out the store once he found it.

"Sure, just give me a sec. I'll be right back." Josuke said, leaving her by one of the street benches. Koneko watched him enter the store for a moment before deciding to take a seat. She sat in silence, no particular thought in her mind. As she waited, Koneko decided to ponder about her current companion. Josuke was a bit of an oddball to her. He seemed genuinely kind, but his pet peeve about his hair was rather extreme. He also seemed rather impulsive, but deceptively smart. Rias told her that Josuke acted very carefree, but was hiding the fact that he was very intelligent as well. Koneko wasn't so sure about this, but her master's instincts were usually trustworthy.

She also found the reason for his current association with Rias to be odd. Never before had a human been so involved in their affairs without becoming a devil. Josuke didn't express any interest in becoming one of them either. He was mostly concerned with Issei, though from what she understood, he volunteered to help them with the stray devil the night before. It at least showed he considered them all friends.

At the moment, Koneko wasn't entirely sure what she thought of him. She assumed time would tell if he continued to stay around them like this.

"Here you go." Josuke offered, pulling Koneko from her thoughts. He was holding a small baggie out for her to grab. Koneko took it gingerly and nodded.

"Thank you." she said in appreciation, opening it up quickly and biting down. Josuke took a seat next to her, a box of pocky sticks and a tea in each hand.

"I got you a drink as well if you want one." Josuke stated, pulling out another bottle.

"You didn't have to do that." Koneko said, glancing at the drink.

"Why not? I really appreciate your help." Josuke said, shaking his head dismissively and placing the drink next to her. "To be honest, I have no idea what I'd do. Searching the church was probably the only thing I could do on my own, but outside of that…" Josuke trailed off, sighing in disappointment.

"The church is a good lead. If angels aren't occupying it, it's likely the fallen angels are." Koneko declared, causing Josuke to blink.

"Really?" Josuke asked, a small burst of hope rising in him. "Great! At least now I have a lead." He cheered before stopping himself short. "But wait, why didn't we go there from the beginning then?"

"I cannot go near the church. Master's rules." Koneko declared, causing Josuke to make a grunt of acceptance.

"That's right. She did just chew out Issei for it." Josuke nodded, standing up and throwing away his trash. "Well, thanks for the help today, Koneko-chan. You can go back to the club room."

"Where are you going?" Koneko asked, despite knowing his answer.

"The church. It's my last stop. I just need to confirm if they're there." Josuke informed her, throwing away his trash in a nearby waste basket.

"You could get spotted." Koneko pointed out, but Josuke shrugged.

"If that happens, I guess I'll have to fight. I was planning to do it soon anyway," he answered, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I'll see you-"

"Don't go." Koneko said, now behind him and grabbing one of his sleeves. "You shouldn't do it alone. President will want to send you with help."

"You and her have already done enough for me. Tell her I said thanks and that I'll see her tomorrow." Josuke dismissed, turning back and patting her on the shoulder. He turned around to leave, but Koneko quickly moved in front of him.

"President doesn't want you doing anything reckless." The petite girl declared, this time causing Josuke to narrow his eyes.

"Please move, Koneko-chan. You can't stop me from going." The tall teen told her, starting to get slightly frustrated. He wasn't necessarily angry at Koneko, but he couldn't stop now. If he could get the fallen angels now, then Issei would no longer be in danger. He **wouldn't** stop now.

"I can't." Koneko replied calmly, shaking her head. The two stared at each other for a long moment, Josuke assessing his options. He didn't want to fight Koneko; that was for sure. But he was definitely set on going. What could he do to get her to move?

A soft meow suddenly caught their attention. Josuke tried to ignore it, but much to his surprise, Koneko quickly looked around for the source. "What is it?" He asked, seeing her new found excitement. The white haired girl suddenly left his path, heading toward a nearby tree. Josuke blinked in question, tempted to just leave for the church. But curiosity got the better of him, for the small girl was never excited, even in a fight.

 _I could go now, but…_ Josuke argued mentally, glancing back and forth between his path and Koneko. Finally, he sighed in frustration and went after the white haired girl to see what she was looking for. She was staring up at the tree, causing Josuke to tilt his head in question.

"What are you… looking at?" He asked curiously, walking up behind her.

"Kitten." She muttered, pointing up. Josuke looked up to see a small gray kitten hanging on the branches. The tree was small, so a normal cat would have been fine jumping off. This kitten would most likely hurt itself if it jumped. "I'm grabbing it."

Koneko prepared to jump up with her strength, but Josuke quickly placed a hand on her shoulder. "I got it." He said, summoning his Stand and using its arms to gently grab the kitten. It kicked in confusion and fear, but started to calm down as **Crazy Diamond** handed the kitten to Josuke.

"There we go." Josuke muttered as he held the small cat in his hands. "You're pretty cute, you know?" He chuckled as he held it closer. He glanced at Koneko to hand it to her, but couldn't help but recoil slightly when he saw her dreamy expression, her mouth slightly open and her eyes shining. _I guess she really loves cats…_ the tall teen muttered mentally with a sweat drop.

"You, uh… wanna hold it?" He asked, to which Koneko quickly nodded. Josuke couldn't help but chuckle, amused by her sudden change. He gently handed the kitten to Koneko, who took it rather gingerly. The kitten looked far more relaxed in the petite girl's arms. Koneko hugged it softly, looking down at it with a rare small smile.

 _What the hell, she's totally different now… She looks friggin' adorable like that…_ Josuke mentally groaned. A small chuckle escaped him, which brought Koneko's attention to him.

"Wh-what?" The petite girl asked, causing Josuke to jump. He didn't mean to chuckle, but it had come out on its own.

"O-oh, nothing, it's just that… I've never seen you act like that…" The tall teen answered, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. Koneko blushed in embarrassment, quickly turning her back to Josuke. The tall teen couldn't help but smile, feeling a bit proud that he was able to see this new side of the petite girl. He would have to remember to bring a cat to school to try and see this reaction again.

Suddenly Koneko stood up straight and tensed in caution, causing Josuke to raise a brow. "What's wrong?"

"We need to go back to the school, it's urgent." Koneko suddenly said, gently placing the kitten down on the ground.

"Why, what happened?" Josuke asked, seeing that she looked quite serious. Koneko turned back to Josuke, her expression grave and as serious as ever.

"Issei was attacked by a Stray Exorcist."

 **To be continued…**

 **Man… this was a LONG chapter! This is probably one of the longest I've ever written in my history as a writer. Of course, compared to other writers that may not seem that long, but to me it is lol. I hope you all liked the chapter, because it was definitely an effort lol**

 **here's the mini-A/N's I talked about earlier:**

 **In the anime, they use a made up fake Dragon Ball series for Issei and the Otaku to talk about. Since this is my fanfic, I say F' THAT, I'm using the real Dragon Ball in mention here. Hope you all don't mind :P**

 **I wasn't sure how Josuke would react to this scene, so I thought I'd at least make it funny. I hope people won't consider it too out of character lol**

 **Now this scene was definitely one I had to address: Josuke's words are exactly how I felt about the scene when I first saw it, and it was what made me give up on the series the first time around lol.**

 **Also, about the final scene with Koneko and Josuke, don't consider this some sort of 'flag raising'. It's just so that Josuke starts to get a bit closer to members of the ORC, starting with Koneko. I'm still debating on what I'm doing with Josuke pairing wise.**

 **Alright, that's it for this chapter! Remember to review and favorite for me! The final clash with the Fallen Angels is coming next, so get excited! And don't worry, you'll all be happy to hear that it will be quite JoJo-esque in nature :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of either fictions involved.**

Chapter 5

 _Josuke was always alone as a kid. The other children were often intimidated by Josuke, his size and funky hairdo making them think he was some kind of freak. Now Josuke was tough, even as a boy. At the age of seven, he would often defend the smaller children from the bullies, yet the others were still scared of him. But even though the other children refused to play with him, he was able to keep a stoic appearance. The tall boy never got angry at the other kids, for he knew it wouldn't help him make any friends either. But that did not mean he didn't feel lonely. In fact, he was quite envious of the other kids, watching them play in the park so freely together. Josuke never stopped visiting the park in the hope that he could make just one friend._

 _Josuke sat alone on the swing, going back and forth in boredom. He had tried and failed to join several other children on the playground, but he could tell he was making them uncomfortable. Josuke didn't want to pressure them, so he decided to just stick to the swings for the day._

 _"Oi, monster boy!" He heard from the side. Josuke could only sigh, glancing at the small group of boys now heading his way. The tall seven year old made the swing slow down with his feet before coming to a stop._

 _"Is there something you want?" Josuke asked tiredly, turning to them with a blank expression._

 _"I heard you were picking on Mako a few days ago! Who do you think you are?" The slightly older boy growled. Josuke jumped off of the swing and shoved his hands into his pockets, his size still a bit larger than the boy in front of him._

 _"I didn't pick on him. He was messing around with some other kid, so I told him to stop." Josuke retorted, narrowing his eyes._

 _"You don't get to tell us what to do, monster boy! No one wants to hang out or be around you, freak!" The boy said disdainfully, the other three behind him making sounds of agreement._

 _"Yeah, get lost!"_

 _"No one likes monsters!"_

 _"I come to this park all the time. I can hang out here if I want." Josuke shot back, making no move to budge. In his pockets, his hands gripped tightly. Despite the stoic appearance, their words did hurt him inside. Why does everyone have to call me a freak?_

 _"Well, find some other place to go! A giant with stupid hair just sticks out and is annoying!" The leading boy said, and suddenly something within Josuke snapped._

 _"What'd you say about my hair?!" He growled, taking his hands out of his pockets. The boys slightly recoiled before putting up strong fronts._

 _"W-we're not afraid of you! We'll beat you up all together!" The leading child said, and with that the others started to surround Josuke. He was too angry to care, his focus solely on the one who insulted his hair._

 _"No one **ever** insults my hair and gets away with it!" Josuke growled, taking a step forward._

 _"Don't act tough! No one cares about your big, stupid, ugly hair!" The boy laughed, raising his fists to fight. Josuke moved forward once again, about to unleash his fury on the bully._

 _"I think his hair is **cool**!"_

 _Immediately, Josuke stopped in his tracks along with the surrounding boys. They all glanced to the side to see a small brunette haired boy standing on top of one of the sand turtle shells. Josuke blinked in shock, unable to say a word in response._

 _"Huh? You're gonna stick up for this monster?!" The leading bully growled in annoyance, but the brunette only smiled in determination and pointed a finger at him defiantly._

 _"What makes you think he's a monster? Because he's tall or has way better hair than you do?!" The tiny brunette scoffed, crossing his arms and smirking. "He's awesome! He stands up to bullies like you because you pick on smaller kids! He's a hero!"_

 _Josuke's rage was all but forgotten now, his eyes sparkling in awe as he listened to the smaller boy's speech._ He… really thinks I'm cool? And he likes my hair?

 _"You better shut up unless you wanna get beat up with him!" One of the other boys growled, stepping toward the brunette._

 _"I'm not afraid of you! I'll help him kick your guys' butts!" The small boy retorted, jumping down and running up to the group. Josuke couldn't help but feel amazed, seeing the brunette's bravery now._ H-he's wrong… **he's** the cool one…

 _"Fine then, we warned you!" One of the other bullies growled, throwing a punch at the smaller kid. The brunette was unable to stop him, and took a punch right to the gut. Immediately, Josuke grew angry. Almost as angry as when someone insulted his hair. He grabbed the boy who struck him and quickly turned him around before punching him across the face and into the sand._

 _"Don't you **dare** touch that guy!" Josuke roared, quickly turning to the other boys. The brunette was down, but not out, jumping to his feet and taking a position next to Josuke._

 _"I won't let you guys talk bad about him again!" He declared, causing Josuke to glance at him in shock._

 _"You should stay back, they look pretty strong."_

 _"No way! I can't let you fight on your own! What kinda man would I be?" The brunette chuckled, smiling at Josuke from the side. The tall boy smiled back and nodded. After that, they took on the three remaining bullies, doing quite well against them. Despite being smaller, the brunette boy held his own rather well, getting several good hits in of his own. Eventually they were able to scare the boys off, leaving both Josuke and the brunette tired and bruised, but victorious._

 _"Man, what a bunch of jerks…" The brunette said, plopping down on his butt before lying on his back. Josuke smiled back at him, slowly taking a seat down next to him._

 _"Thanks, man. I really appreciate it." Josuke said in appreciation, but the boy waved his hand dismissively._

 _"No problem! I'm Issei Hyoudou, nice to meet you!" He declared, holding his hand out to shake. Josuke smiled, taking it into his own and giving a small shake._

 _"Josuke Higashikata." He replied before releasing his hand. Issei forced himself to sit up with groan, but offered a friendly grin._

 _"So, Josuke. Wanna be friends from now on?" Issei offered. Josuke couldn't hide his joy after hearing those words, offering one of the biggest goofy grins he had ever given._

 _9 years later…_

 _Shit, I can't believe this happened **again**!_

It was the dark of night. Josuke and Koneko had received the news of the assault on Issei by a Stray Exorcist, and were now bolting back to school. Koneko could have teleported herself back to the school, but that would have meant leaving Josuke behind. He told her to go on ahead, but Koneko decided to go with him. She knew that he was worried and wanted to make sure Issei was alright, but part of her thought that Josuke might also try an assault on the fallen angels because of this. Despite her thoughts, Josuke didn't consider turning around for a second. He sprinted as fast as he could down the sidewalk, making no attempt to slow down.

To be honest, Josuke felt rather guilty he wasn't there to stop it. Logically speaking, the pompadour spotting teen knew that he couldn't just follow Issei around and that his time was most likely better spent looking for the fallen angels. But still, to have this happen a fourth time in a row made his gut wrench. I'm going to make those bastards pay for this. Josuke mentally growled, his teeth grinding together as he started to pick up speed.

"Are you alright, Josuke-sempai?" Koneko asked, causing him to slightly jump. He had almost forgotten she was there, making him sigh.

"I'm… not, Koneko-chan. I'm getting **really** frustrated." Josuke declared, his eyes narrowing. Koneko wordlessly nodded, watching him for a moment before refocusing on the road ahead. Suddenly, she started to notice something odd about their surroundings: nearby trees, bushes and even the street seemed to start becoming twisted and morphed. Koneko widened her eyes in shock before looking back at Josuke, who didn't seem to take much notice of his surroundings.

"Is this you?" Koneko asked, causing Josuke to glance back at her in question.

"Is what… oh." Josuke trailed off, now noticing everything that had changed. "Yeah, sorry. When I get mad, sometimes that happens."

"I see." Koneko said in acceptance, not bothering to pursue the issue further. The two finally reached the school, but didn't bother to slow down. Josuke silently cursed at the fact that the old school building was in the back of the campus. Within several minutes, the two finally arrived.

"Issei!" Josuke called out as he pushed the door to the clubroom open. Akeno and Yuuto could be seen, both jumping in surprise at his loud arrival.

"Oh, Higashikata-san. There you are." Kiba said, standing to meet him. Josuke quickly ran up to him and grabbed his shoulders.

"Where's Issei? Is he hurt?" Josuke asked in panic, causing Kiba to blink.

"Why yes, he was. Please calm yourself though. Hyoudou-kun is currently being healed by the president-" Kiba explained, but Josuke shook his head.

"Let me see him, I can heal him up real quick. Where's he at?" Josuke asked urgently. Kiba opened his mouth to protest, but Akeno spoke first.

"He's right behind that curtain with the president. Why don't you join them?" Akeno suggested with a serene smile.

"Okay, I'll go help out!" Josuke agreed, quickly releasing Kiba.

"Um, Higashikata-san. You should know that-" Kiba tried to warn, but the tall teen was in too much of a hurry. He rushed over to the curtain and pulled it back.

"Issei! You alright… man…?" Josuke started in a shout before trailing off. In front of him were Rias and Issei. Both were completely naked, but turned around, giving Josuke a full view of her rear. Both Issei and Rias stared at him in shock, while Josuke stood there for a moment in silence. Several moments later, his face turned completely red, and he slowly pulled the curtain back in place. "I apologize…" He muttered before slowly walking back over to the couch and taking a seat. He was still quite flustered, not saying much at first. Suddenly he narrowed his eyes and glared at Akeno who was now giggling.

"You knew…"

"Of course I did. I wanted to see your reaction." Akeno giggled, causing Josuke's eye to twitch in annoyance.

"I'm sorry, Higashikata-san. I tried to warn you." Kiba stated with a sympathetic smile. Suddenly the water turned on, and out came Issei in his boxers.

"O-oh, Josuke! Good to see-" Issei started before Josuke quickly wrapped his hands around his throat.

"I came here running, quite worried that my best friend might be really hurt. Now, I'm going to make **sure** he is before I heal him right up." Josuke growled through grinded teeth with a vengeful smile, comically choking the brunette.

"It wasn't… my fault… That's just how…" Issei struggled to say, unable to speak much while being choked out.

"No need to be so upset, Josuke-kun." Rias spoke from the shower, amusement lacing her voice. "I have to heal Issei through direct contact, which means without clothes. It was nothing lewd."

"Sure it wasn't…" Josuke grumbled, his face still red as he let Issei go. "So are you all healed up now?"

"My healing seals his deep wounds, but it is not perfect. He is still quite hurt." Rias declared from behind the curtain. "Do you think you can finish healing him up?"

"Yeah, no problem." Josuke sighed, turning back to Issei and summoning **Crazy Diamond**. With a light touch of his shoulders, Issei's bones and muscles lost all of their soreness and pain, making the brunette smile.

"Ara ara, your healing is truly amazing, Josuke-kun!" Akeno praised, causing Josuke to smile bashfully.

"Shoot, you're making me blush! Saying stuff like that…" He chuckled sheepishly until he frowned and narrowed his eyes. "Wait, no! I'm still mad at you…"

"But why? I'm sure you got a good view." Akeno giggled again in amusement.

Issei glanced at the shower curtain before he leaned in with a lewd smile, cupping his hand over his mouth. "To be honest, I think I prefer the president's healing. No offense."

Josuke opened his mouth to protest before glancing to the side in thought. "Yeah, I guess I can't really be mad at you for that." he conceded with a shrug.

"You were quite lucky, Issei. That stray exorcist was able to wield powers of light well." Rias declared, getting back to business.

"Why's it called a 'stray'? I thought only devils could be strays for leaving their master?" Josuke asked curiously, crossing his arms in front of him.

"There are many exorcists who are excommunicated from the church depending on their actions." Kiba explained this time. "When that happens, they usually decide to serve the fallen angels instead."

"Does that mean Asia is one of those stray exorcists?!" Issei asked in worry, glancing at Yuuto this time. The blond could only close his eyes and cast his glance away, knowing the answer might hurt the brunette.

"That nun girl was the one who attacked you?!" Josuke asked in shock, widening his eyes, but Issei quickly shook his head.

"No way! It was this other guy who called himself Freed. Asia was there with him, but… she would never do anything like that. He treated her like trash for trying to protect me…" Issei explained, trailing off in shame as his gaze became downcast. Josuke frowned in sympathy, knowing that the brunette wanted to help her. But one obvious point in all this kept him from doing that.

"Regardless of her situation, she is a servant to a fallen angel and you are a devil." Rias pointed out, walking out of the shower with a towel wrapped around her body. "Those are facts."

"President…" Issei muttered, wanting to protest, but know it wasn't his place. _I'm… weak._ Josuke saw his hopeless look, understanding his feelings.

 _He must have really liked her to be this bummed out. He's always been like this. I guess that's why he's cool_. Josuke mentally chuckled before yawning and scratching the back of his head.

"Well, that is a shame. I guess it's a good thing that I'm not a demon then." Josuke suddenly proclaimed, smiling slyly at the group. "Don't you worry about your friend Asia, Issei. I'm gonna take down those fallen angel anyway, so I'll make sure to save her while I'm at it."

"J-Josuke!" Issei muttered, suddenly smiling gratefully. He gripped his hand in determination, nodding in appreciation. "Don't worry, I won't let you go alone. I'll help you out!"

"Issei, we've been over this. You'll only make trouble for Rias if you try and help me out." Josuke pointed out, shaking his head. "You can't come with me."

"He's right, Issei. You must refrain from doing anything reckless." Rias agreed, but quickly turned on Josuke. "And **you** should keep from jumping into enemy territory without a plan, especially by yourself. I want to help you, Josuke-kun. But you have to work with me here. There are just limits that we cannot cross."

"For you there are, prez." Josuke retorted, crossing his arms. "But not for me. I said I didn't want to cause you trouble, and I meant it. This is my fight, not yours."

"By going, you **are** causing me trouble, Josuke-kun!" Rias declared, far more sternly this time.

"How?! I may hang out with you guys, but I have no official association with you! It's not-"

"Because you're our **friend**." Rias insisted, quickly cutting him off and making him widen his eyes. "I do not want to see you hurt anymore than I would my own peerage. You're strong, but you're acting impulsive. One mistake could get you **killed**."

Josuke was silent for a moment, soaking in Rias's words. Issei felt slightly nervous, unsure of whose side he should take. On the inside though, he knew that he was going to support Josuke's decision. He wanted to save Asia, and right now Josuke was the only one capable of doing so. Finally the tall teen sighed and leveled a stern look at her. "I'm sorry, prez. I have to do this. You can't stop me."

Rias and Josuke stared at each other for a long moment, almost as if pitting their wills against one another. If Issei didn't know any better, he would suspect electricity to erupt between them any moment now. He glanced at the rest of the peerage, unsure of how they felt about the subject. Much to his surprise, they seemed to be watching the exchange rather intently, almost as if they had seen something like this very rarely. Finally, Rias sighed in exasperation, turning away from Josuke.

"Do as you wish. Just know that I have warned you." Rias declared quietly, disappointment lacing her voice. Josuke didn't make any retort or answer, only nodding before turning around to leave.

"Let's go, Issei." Josuke said, walking past the brunette and heading for the door. Issei wordlessly followed him, only glancing back and waving his goodbye to the others. Rias took a seat at her desk, tiredly sighing and leaning on her hand.

"When do you think he might strike?" Akeno asked curiously, glancing at her King.

"Who knows? I know at least not tonight. As set as he is on doing it, I think Josuke-kun's concern for Issei's well being overpowers it." Rias theorized, looking back at Akeno.

"What shall we do then?" Yuuto asked, almost as if waiting for orders. "I doubt Higashikata-san will wait long."

"For now, we wait." Rias sighed, glancing to the side. "It's inevitable for Josuke-kun to find them. And despite his protests, Issei will not let him go this alone."

* * *

Issei had not gotten a wink of sleep that night. The image of Asia crying and her poor treatment at the hands of Freed continued to go through his mind. He felt so helpless, lying there being unable to do anything for the blond nun. What was even worse is that she was likely still with those psychopaths. He knew that Josuke was planning to try and save her, but… how could he just rely on his best friend to do everything on his own? He couldn't, that was a fact. But looking up at Josuke and what he had done so far, he could only feel inferior.

"I'm weak… I'm too weak…" Issei mumbled aloud, covering his face. "I'm just a pawn. I can't even save a girl…"

"Well that's not good. I guess you'll just have to get stronger."

Issei blinked in surprise before looking toward his door. Josuke stood there with a smug grin, leaning against the door with his arms crossed. "J-Josuke? What are you doing here?"

"We always hang out on Sundays, duh." Josuke chuckled, walking over toward Issei's drawer and pulling out several articles of clothing. "Now get up, today we're gonna start working on those power of yours."

"Wh-what, really?" Issei replied dumbly, sitting up only for Josuke to throw his clothes right in Issei's face. "Where's this coming from?"

"Well, you're coming with me tonight, aren't you? I have to make sure you can defend yourself while you're in there." Josuke pointed out, causing Issei to widen his eyes.

"But you said you didn't want me coming with you. Weren't you trying to avoid causing trouble for the president?" Issei asked incredulously. Josuke only laughed at his answer, tossing Issei's shoes at his feet.

"Come on, Issei. We've been friends forever now. I know you, and no matter what I say you were going to come." Josuke declared with a chuckle. Issei stared at the taller teen for a moment in shock before grinning widely.

"I guess you do know me." Issei laughed, quickly standing up and grabbing the clothes. "I'll get ready now!"

"Great! I'll be waiting outside for you, so hurry it up!" Josuke said with a nod before heading for the door.

"Hey, Josuke?" Issei said, causing the tall teen to stop and look back at him. "Thanks." Issei said, giving a genuine and appreciative smile. Josuke gave a goofy grin and a nod.

"No problem."

* * *

"I know I said thank you earlier, but… You're an asshole…" Issei complained, flat on his face. The two went to the park to train. Issei thought that physical training might be enough, but his best friend had other ideas. Josuke had attempted to invoke the power of Issei's Sacred Gear… by beating on him with **Crazy Diamond**.

"Huh. I thought that you might bring **something** out if we sparred. I mean, the bracer made you a bit stronger but… not much." Josuke mused, rubbing the back of his neck in thought. "Maybe we should try something else…"

"Maybe, but… I can't really think of much else." Issei groaned, pushing himself up to his feet. Suddenly thoughts of Asia burned through his mind, her desperate and hurt expression lighting a fire in him again. "But you know what? That's fine! Let's keep going! Heal me up with **Crazy Diamond** so we can start again!" Issei proclaimed, eyes filled with determination.

"That's the spirit! Let's do this!" Josuke said jumping up, using his Stand to heal Issei instantly. "We'll save your friend Asia in no time!"

"Issei-san?"

The two blinked at each other before turning to the side. In front of them was none other than Asia. The blond stared at them for a long moment, unable to say anything at first.

"A-Asia?" Issei mumbled, unable to come up with much else.

"Well, shit… mission accomplished. Good work team." Josuke awkwardly joked, rubbing the back of his neck. Suddenly the three heard a loud grumble coming from Asia. The blond immediately flustered, holding her stomach in embarrassment.

"I-I'm sorry…" She muttered, turning away shyly. Issei raised a brow before giving a sympathetic smile.

"Why don't we go get something to eat?" He offered, making the blond turn to the two in question.

It was strangely quiet between the three on the way to the diner. Asia had barely said a word, looking too shy and scared to say much. Josuke wanted to ask what was wrong, but he guessed it had something to do with the night before. Issei was quiet as well, though he seemed far less awkward about it. The three sat at a booth in the restaurant, ordering a simple meal of burgers for the three. As soon as they arrived, Asia made it obvious that she had never seen such food before, staring at it like it was some new species of animal being studied by scientists. Josuke would have found it amusing had she not been through such a traumatic experience the day before.

"Um, Asia-chan?" Issei spoke finally, bringing the blond nun's attention to him.

"Um, yes?" She answered quietly, unable t o mask her surprise. Issei smiled kindly before picking the burger up and unwrapping it.

"This is how you eat it, princess!" Issei declared before taking a large bite of the burger.

 _Did he really just call her princess?_ Josuke thought with a sweat drop.

"I-I never would have guessed you eat it like that! Amazing!" Asia murmured in awe as she watched Issei eat. She picked up her own burger and inspected it for a moment. Josuke and Issei watched her expectantly, though she didn't seem to notice. Finally, the blonde took a tiny bite out of her sandwich.

"It's delicious~!" Asia said quietly, smiling at the two in thanks. Issei chuckled, finding her innate fascination with a burger to be kind of cute. Suddenly a thought popped in his head, and the brunette set his burger down.

"By the way, what were you doing at the park?" Issei asked curiously. Asia immediately froze, casting her glance away in thought for a moment. She suddenly turned back, a forced smile on her features.

"Well… I was on break, so I thought that I'd take a walk through town!" Asia explained, trying her best to look natural in saying so. She then looked down with a far more genuine smile. "And then I saw you, so…"

 _Likely story_. Josuke mused, leaning on his arm. _She probably ran away from the looks of it. At least she was able to get away. We'll have to think of some way to keep her safe. I doubt Rias will accept her…_

"Asia!" Issei suddenly said, pulling the tall teen from his thoughts. "Today, let's play to our heart's content!" He proclaimed, raising an arm with a smile and a wink. Josuke blinked at his sudden outburst, unable to say anything in response. _What are you thinking, man?! We should be focusing on hiding her! Josuke mentally groaned before glancing at Asia._

The blond in question looked quite shocked as well, but suddenly smiled happily before giving a nod. "Sure!" She agreed.

"O-one sec, okay miss?" Josuke asked, causing Asia and Issei to glance at him in question. Josuke grabbed the brunette by the shoulders and turned him around, making them huddle close together. "What are you doing?! We should be **hiding** her, not playing around! Do you really think she's just 'on break'?"

"Of course not! I'm pretty sure she ran away!" Issei whispered back, but gave a sad frown. "But… she went through a lot yesterday. I feel really bad because… I wasn't able to help her. I just want to make her happy and forget what happened. So please, let's just have fun with her today, okay? Then afterwards, we'll find somewhere that we can hide her."

Josuke stared at Issei for a long moment, unsure of what he meant by her going through a lot the previous day. The brunette mentioned that she received poor treatment, but he didn't go into detail. Finally, Josuke sighed and rubbed his face before finally conceding. "Fine, we'll do it your way. We just have to be careful…"

"No problem! I'm sure we'll be good with you around!" Issei declared, offering a joyful grin. The two turned back to Asia, who was watching them with a curious look.

"What were you two talking about?" She asked, unable to hear their conversation.

"Nothing important, miss! Sorry about that." Josuke dismissed, waving a hand in front of him. "By the way, I don't think we got properly introduced yet. I'm Josuke Higashikata, it's a pleasure to meet you." The tall teen said, putting his hands together and bowing in his seat.

"Oh, please forgive me! I am Asia Argento, please take care of me." The blond answered, offering a kind smile to Josuke.

* * *

From there, the three moved to the arcade to have fun. They played an array of games, from racing, fighting (much to the both boys chagrin as Asia beat them both easily), and to even a dance go-go game. Issei wanted the group to take a picture, but Josuke decided to let the two take them on their own, only joining in one in which he wrapped his arms around both of their shoulders and stood in the middle. Josuke had to admit, the day was turning out to be very fun. Still though, he didn't let down his guard. Who knew who might be watching them, and without Koneko around they could not be sure if they were at all in the first place. He had no doubt that they would come looking for the young nun. Why, he didn't know, but Asia seemed to have some role they wanted her to play as their servant.

As the three walked through the arcade to find their next game, Asia's attention was pulled away by a claw machine. She let out a small gasp and quickly ran away from the two, causing the boys to glance at her in question.

"What's the matter?" Issei asked, approaching her from the side.

"O-oh, it's nothing!" Asia quickly said, feeling a bit embarrassed for running off like that.

Josuke peeked into the claw machine to see a stack of Pikachu dolls inside. "So you like Pikachu, huh?"

"W-well, that's… yes…" Asia stuttered in embarrassment. Josuke chuckled at her shyness before turning to Issei.

"You're pretty good at those claw machines, aren't you?" he asked, causing the brunette to grin.

"Leave it to me, Asia-chan!" Issei declared, putting several coins inside. Asia blinked as she watched him start to work. "Me, Josuke and our friends Motohama and Matsuda used to frequent arcades a lot. We stopped coming as often because Josuke would always lose pretty badly at the majority of games."

"Shut up! That last part wasn't necessary to say!" Josuke complained sourly, only causing Issei to chuckle. Asia even gave a small laugh at his plight. A few seconds later, Issei was able to pull out a win on the first try and claim the Pikachu plush. Asia smiled in awe before clapping in praise for the brunette.

"Here you go." Issei offered, handing her the doll which she took gingerly into her arms.

"Thank you very much!" Asia said, smiling at Issei. "This Pikachu is a treasure I could get because of you!"

"You really wanted that doll, huh?" Josuke laughed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Now, where shall we go next?" Issei asked, feeling a bit flustered by her words. Josuke followed after him, taking no notice of the fact that Asia lagged behind them a bit.

"So much fun… it's a shame we can only have this memory of fun for the day…" Asia muttered to herself, hugging the plush doll closer.

From there, the three continued to play several more games before taking a break. They headed out and grabbed several drinks, heading next to the park where they could relax for a little and talk.

"Thank you, both! This was the most fun I've had in my life!" Asia said, smiling appreciatively at the two.

"You're exaggerating, Asia. But today was really fun." Issei chuckled, taking a drink from a small can of soda.

"I'm guessing you don't get out much, huh?" Josuke asked with a smirk.

"N-no, not really…" Asia confirmed, rubbing the back of her head shyly. Issei nudged him with his elbow, giving him a look that said _dude, don't ask stuff like that!_

 _Sorry, sorry_. Josuke mentally said back, shrugging in apology.

"Um…" Asia suddenly spoke up, looking at Issei. "About yesterday… how are your wounds?"

Issei and Josuke blinked before the brunette waved his arms in reassurance. "They're fine, absolutely fine! Don't worry, I'm all healed up now. In fact, it was Josuke who healed me up."

Asia widened her eyes in shock, looking at the tall teen in question. "Oh, I see! You must be… like Issei-san, right?" She asked, avoiding the word 'devil'.

"No, actually." Josuke chuckled. "I'm full human. But I've got a different kind of power than he does. Have you ever heard of a Stand?"

"'Stand'? I don't believe I have." Asia said, blinking in question. Josuke decided to show her personally, calling out **Crazy Diamond**. Asia gasped in surprise, staring at the large figure floating above them in awe. "Amazing, it's a whole other person!"

"Something like that. I believe they called it the manifestation of the soul." Josuke explained before making his Stand disappear again. "Some people have them, sort of like Issei's and you having a Sacred Gear."

"I see… so it can heal like my Twilight Healing?" Asia asked, showing the emerald ring on her hand.

"That's right, among other things." Josuke said with a nod.

"He can also use it to fight, it's pretty amazing." Issei added with a smile.

"That's incredible…" Asia stated in awe. The three took a seat in a park with a large fountain and stone pillars surrounding them. Issei seemed content with enjoying the sun and company of the other two, but Josuke had other plans. He could see without a doubt that Asia was a good girl, who was kind and gentle in many ways. He let out a long sigh and turned to the blond with a serious expression.

"Asia-chan… I hate to ask, but… why are you working with the fallen angels?" Josuke asked, causing Issei and Asia to jump.

"Oi, Josuke! Don't just-" Issei started to complain, but Asia gently grabbed his shoulder, shaking her head.

"It's alright, Issei-san. I have nothing to hide from you two." Asia declared, causing the brunette to blink. She cast her gaze away from them and smiled sadly, staring at the water in front of them. "My parents abandoned me when I was born. I was told that I was found in front of a small European town's church as a baby. That was where I grew up." She started to explain softly, both boys now listening intently to her story. "When I was eight, a wounded dog wandered into our church. I prayed as hard as I could for it, and a miracle happened. Soon afterward, I was sent to a much larger church. My job was to heal the wounds and illnesses of Christians who came from across the world. I was so happy that my power could help people! Then one day, I encountered a man collapsed on the floor of our church, heavily injured." The small smile she once had was now gone, replaced with a sad frown. "But the man I came across… was a devil. Because I healed him, I was branded a heretic by the church."

"You had nowhere to go, so that's why you were picked up by the fallen angels." Issei guessed, looking at the blond with sympathy.

"Gee, I'm… sorry about that… You've been through a lot." Josuke muttered, rubbing the back of his head in regret.

"But I never stopped praying to God, expressing my gratitude." Asia declared with a sad smile, glancing up at the sky. "But I had no idea what horrible things the fallen angels were doing." The sad smile quickly fell, and she gripped her dress in despair. "Perhaps God is testing me. If I can overcome this ordeal, he will make my dream come true someday."

"Your dream?" Issei repeated curiously.

"To someday have a lot of friends. Together we'll buy flowers and books, and talk…" Asia explained, hugging the Pikachu doll closer. She then glanced at Issei and forced a smile once again. "That's my dream. I don't have any friends, you see."

 _… I think I'm gonna cry._ Josuke mentally groaned, unable to look at the blond while forcing back any tears and covering his face with his hand. Suddenly Issei stood up, walking to the front of the fountain.

"Issei-san?"

"We'll be your friends, Asia." Issei suddenly declared, causing Josuke to glance at him curiously and forget the feels he was having at first. "I mean, we're already friends, aren't we?" Asia blinked in surprise glancing at Josuke to see him giving a kind smile in confirmation. "I mean, we did have a lot of fun today and talked a lot, after all. Well, we didn't get to the flowers and books, but…" Issei finished, scratching his cheek sheepishly.

"I think we've done enough to be considered friends by now, right?" Josuke chuckled, leaning against the stone pillars around them. Asia looked back and forth from Issei and Josuke for a moment before giving her first genuinely happy smile. Tears started to mist her eyes, making her try to wipe them away.

"Yes. Yes, of course!" Asia agreed quietly, gripping the plush doll in her hands tighter. "B-but I'm causing trouble for you both, or at least Issei-san, aren't I?" She asked, though she didn't sound very convinced of that.

"I'm a devil and you're a nun, but so what?" Issei dismissed, walking back up to the blond. "We can still be friends!" He declared, offering a hand to help Asia to her feet.

"I…" Asia started before grinning wider. "I'm so happy."

 _Always the cool guy, huh?_ Josuke mused with a chuckle, letting the two have their moment. Suddenly a chill ran up the tall teens spine, almost as if a dark presence was close. _What the-_

"Not going to happen."

Issei and Josuke suddenly tensed, widening their eyes in recognition before turning toward the center fountain. In front of them was the girl they once knew as Amano Yuuma, Raynare. Unlike before, she looked a bit older now and wore a very revealing leather outfit and a pair of black wings on her back.

"Yuuma-chan…" Issei muttered in shock.

"You…" Josuke growled, standing at full length as his hair now shaded his eyes.

"Raynare-sama!" Asia suddenly whispered, taking a step back. Issei took a step in front of the blond protectively, but Josuke took the lead in front of both of them.

"You really are living as a lowly devil now, huh?" Raynare commented before glancing at the tall teen. "Yet your friend still hangs around you. You're the one who declared war on us, aren't you?"

"Come over here and find out, bitch." Josuke dared, taking a stance as if preparing to fight. Raynare only chuckled in amusement before glancing at Asia.

"Sorry, human. But I'm not here for you. Asia, you **cannot** run away." Raynare declared, causing the blond to stiffen slightly.

"N-no! I won't return to a place where I have to kill people!" Asia retorted before looking at Issei in apology. "I'm sorry, but the truth is that I ran away from the church."

"Yeah, we kinda figured that." Issei dryly chuckled, causing Asia to blink. "There's no way you'd help assholes like these guys on your own accord."

"You heard the lady. She's not going with you." Josuke said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "If you leave now, I won't totally destroy you the next time I find you."

Raynare only chuckled, summoning a red energy spear of Light to her hand. "A lowly demon and a human should not address me so freely."

"Issei, stay behind me and protect Asia." Josuke ordered, never taking his eyes off of Raynare. "That light is poison to you, right?"

"Josuke-san, be careful!" Asia warned, but Issei shook his head.

"Don't worry, he's really strong. He's got this." Issei assured, despite his words he had a nervous sweat going. Be careful, Josuke.

"As I said before, I'm only here for the girl." Raynare pointed out, spinning the spear in her hand. "But if you continue to get in the way, I'll destroy you both outright."

"Then **come and try it**!" Josuke roared, summoning **Crazy Diamond** as his hidden anger finally spilled over. "I'll make you eat shit for what you did to Issei!"

Raynare suddenly frowned, grinding her teeth in frustration. "Go ahead and try it, you worthless human!" She roared, flying high up into the air before launching the light spear. Without even flinching, Josuke's Stand quickly caught the spear with ease.

"You assholes all have the same dumbass strategy, don't you?" Josuke asked. **Crazy Diamond** quickly threw the spear of Light back at her, but Raynare had no trouble dodging it.

"Not quite. I'm not some battle crazed fighter like Dohnaseek." Raynare scoffed, forming another light spear. "And I'm even stronger than he is!" She declared before launching her weapon. Josuke raised a brow as he realized that it was headed toward the ground in front of him and not directly at him.

 _Does she have bad aim or something? No that's not it, she did it on purpose._ Josuke mused quickly before widening his eyes. _Shit, what if it explodes?!_ Acting fast, Josuke quickly used his Stand to punch the ground and kick up the stone. He then used **Crazy Diamond's** repairing power to manipulate the cement and form a sort of shield. As he predicted, the light spear set off an explosion of light, the shock wave causing the three to cover their eyes. The cement wall held for the attack, but quickly collapsed afterward, serving its purpose.

 _What was that he did, just now?_ Raynare mused, narrowing her eyes at Josuke who now stood defiantly at the front of the group, uninjured. _It almost looked like he manipulated the earth… no, that's not it. I must be seeing things, he most likely just kicked it up using his power and it saved him. How lucky._

"I'm not letting you fight her on your own, Josuke!" Issei declared, pulling attention to himself now. "I'll do what I can! **Sacred Gear**!" He roared, calling forth his armored bracer and smiling as it appeared. "Yes!"

Raynare, however, only laughed as she saw this, causing Josuke and Issei to turn to her in question. "A Twice Critical? That's all? We were totally off the mark."

"Twice? What are you talking about?" Issei couldn't help but ask in confusion.

"Oi, Issei! Don't listen to her!" Josuke warned, grinding his teeth in frustration. _She's keeping a distance, and I can't use **Crazy Diamond** with her so far away._

"It's also called the Dragon's Hand. It's an ordinary weapon that doubles the user's power temporarily." Raynare continued, ignoring Josuke for the moment.

"Doubles my power?" Issei repeated, glancing down at his arm.

"'He has a powerful Sacred Gear' is what my superiors told me. So I went through that whole farce." Raynare declared, causing the brunette to glance back up at her. She suddenly put on the innocent face she had when she first met Issei. "'I really like you, please go out with me!'" She said, her tone reverting back to that of an innocent girl's before grinning tauntingly at him. "Remember that? I remember your ungainly smile of yours."

"Shut up, bitch! I'm tired of hearing your goddamn voice!" Josuke growled defensively, using his Stand to go over to the closest pillar and kick it forward. Raynare quickly dodged the cement, laughing as she did so.

"Looks like I've confirmed it. Your powers really do have a short effective range." Raynare pointed out, causing the tall teen to click his tongue.

"It doesn't matter how short it is, I'm still gonna drive **Crazy Diamond's** fist into your skull!" Josuke declared fiercely.

"As much as I'd love to entertain a fight with you, my only interest lies with Asia." Raynare giggled, floating above the group. "If you hand her over now, I'll let you both live. Unlike that boy, she possesses a very rare Sacred Gear."

" **We refuse**!" Josuke and Issei proclaimed loudly, the brunette pushing her more securely behind him.

"Issei-san!" Asia protested, afraid for her friends.

"As a man, I've gotta be able to protect my friends! I'm not gonna sit back and do nothing!" Issei growled, raising his arm up. Asia stared at him in awe while Josuke only continued to stare at the fallen angel above them cautiously.

"I'm sorry you feel that way. Mittelt?" Raynare suddenly said. Josuke and Issei blinked in question until the tall teen heard Issei gasp in pain. He quickly turned around to see Issei pierced from behind, a blond girl with raven wings floating a bit behind them.

" **Issei**!" Josuke and Asia cried out in shock. The nun attempted to help Issei, but Mittelt quickly swooped down and pulled her back.

"Not so fast. We can't have you ruining a perfect standoff." Mittelt giggled, stroking Asia's face as she wrapped her wings around her.

"Asia-chan!" Josuke called out, grinding his teeth as **Crazy Diamond** prepared to attack again.

"Ah ah ah~! Don't do anything stupid." Raynare called out, floating down several meters behind Josuke. The tall teen glared back at her, ready to fight again, but equally aware of Issei's wound. He was bleeding and hurt very bad, but thanks to his devil status, he was more durable than a human at least. _Shit, I have to heal him._

"You have a choice: keep trying to fight us for Asia and possibly risk your friends death, or save him and allow us to leave. Take your pick." Raynare declared, making the tall teen sweat in fear.

"Please save Issei-san! I'll be fine!" Asia called out fearfully, tears welling up her eyes.

"N-no! D-don't let them take her… Josuke…" Issei struggled to say, hoping to convince his friend. Josuke's hair shaded his eyes, and for a moment his choice seemed unclear.

That was until he dashed straight to Issei.

"J-Josuke, no!" Issei begged, but the tall teen ignored his pleas.

"Sentiment truly is a strong weapon." Raynare chuckled, glancing at Mittelt. "Let's depart."

"Asia-chan!" Josuke called out, grinding his teeth in frustration as he used **Crazy Diamond** to heal Issei. "I'm sorry! I promise we'll save you!"

"Sorry, but you won't. Human's are so weak." Mittelt giggled, causing the teen to growl.

"Don't worry, Josuke-san. I'm happy with the day we had." Asia said, smiling sadly at the two. "Goodbye, Issei-san."

The wound and pain was now gone from Issei thanks to Josuke's Stand, who quickly tried to push himself to his feet. " **Asia**!" He called out, reaching out to grab her. Mittelt only giggled at his attempt, quickly teleporting away from sight.

"I await our next meeting." Raynare chuckled, turning her back to them.

"Raynare." Josuke suddenly called out, stopping her for a moment. "You better be prepared for the next time I see you. Because when I do, I'm gonna cave in your goddamn **skull**." He declared sternly, his eyes now visible and giving a dark glare. Raynare narrowed her eyes in anger before scoffing.

"Your threats are as empty as your resolve, human." Raynare said before teleporting away. Josuke and Issei were silent for a long moment until the brunette quickly grabbed Josuke's collar.

"Why would you let them take her?! You should have left me on the ground, I would have been fine!" Issei growled in irritation, shaking the taller teen. Josuke gripped his arms and ripped them off of his shirt, returning the glare harshly.

"I was **not** going to have you die again! Asia is alive for now, and we **will** get her back!" Josuke retorted, the two huffing in frustration. Issei only glared for a bit longer before sighing tiredly and falling to the ground.

"I-I know, I'm sorry. It's just… I really couldn't do anything for her…" Issei muttered, rubbing his face in frustration. "I am weak."

"We both couldn't do anything." Josuke muttered, taking a seat in front of him. Despite his words, his expression was confident and serious. "But that doesn't mean we aren't going to. Tonight, we're saving her. Me and you."

Issei was silent for a long moment, hesitating because of his shame. But he knew that crying over his inability to help would only hurt them, and Asia needed them to be strong. "Yeah, me and you." As the two moved to stand up, a familiar red magic circle appeared before them, causing them to stop for a moment. Out came the vice president Akeno, who looked quite serious.

"Akeno-san…" Issei gulped, knowing her appearance here was most likely not for a good reason.

"Issei-kun, Josuke-kun. Come with me. The president wants to see you."

* * *

 ***Slap***

"Hey now, take it easy!" Josuke said, trying to defuse the situation. As soon as the tall teen and Issei arrived, it was quite obvious that Rias was not happy. After explaining the events of the day, Issei was given a firm slap across the face for his troubles. Koneko and Kiba were present as well, but were silent as Rias continued to scold the two.

Rias turned to Josuke with her eyes narrowed. "Josuke-kun, stay out of this. This is between master and servant. I have no say in your actions, but Issei is to follow my instructions when given." She then turned back to Issei, her expression less forgiving. "How many times have I told you? It's impossible." Rias declared sternly, placing her hands on her hips. "Forget about that girl. You are a member of the Gremory household."

"I know that, but you don't have to-" Josuke started until Issei spoke up.

"Then please release me from your household." Issei asked, causing Rias and Josuke to raise a brow in shock. "If you do that, then I'll go with Josuke alone."

"You're asking the impossible." Rias said, now frowning in disappointment.

"I'm just a pawn on your chessboard, right?" Issei pushed, gripping his hand. "Surely you can get rid of one pawn."

"Enough!" Rias ordered sternly, causing the brunette to shut up. She sighed before holding up a hand. "Do you really think that the pawn is the weakest piece on the board? I told you already that each servant takes on the trait of their piece."

"What trait does a pawn have?" Josuke asked curiously, unable to think of anything. After all, he was still a novice.

"Promotion." Rias stated, glancing back at Issei. "Once a pawn enters enemy territory, it can bare the traits of any other piece save for a king."

"Wait, so I could have everyone's power if I reached an enemy territory?" Issei asked, a burst of hope springing forward.

"If I recognize it as enemy territory, then, yes." Rias confirmed, giving a small smile as she saw he was now done with the illusion of leaving her peerage. "Say, for example, the church."

"Looks like you didn't get dogged out after all." Josuke chided with a goofy smile. As they were talking, Akeno entered back into the room quietly. "And as for your Sacred Gear…"

"It doubles my power, right?" Issei supplied. "Yuum-" He stopped himself short, the mention of her making him nauseous. "... The fallen angel told me." He said quietly, closing his eyes in disappointment. Surprisingly enough, Rias stroked his cheek and shook her head.

"Use your head." Rias told him, a kind smile now on her features. "The Sacred Gear activates by its owners will. The greater the willpower, the more powerful it will become."

"'Willpower'?" Issei repeated somewhat confused. Josuke smiled, understanding it himself.

"I think she means don't underestimate that thing on your arm." Josuke suddenly spoke. "You've got a pretty hard head, so I think that thing is stronger than you think." The tall teen added. Akeno walked up behind Rias quietly, whispering something incoherent to her king. Rias furrowed her brow seriously and nodded.

"Something has come to my attention. Akeno and I will be stepping out." Rias declared, following the raven haired girl out of the room.

"W-wait, president! We're not done tal-"

"Listen." Rias quickly interrupted without looking back. "Even with a promotion, a single piece will not be able to beat a fallen angel. Going alone is suicide." She stood at the center of the room with Akeno, a magic circle appearing under them.

As Josuke listened to her words, though, he suddenly started to get a hint at her actions, rewinding the entire conversation in his mind. He gave a sly smile and quickly wrapped his arm around Issei's shoulders. "Hey man, you heard her. Alone you're outmatched, no helping it. So no need to argue."

"W-what?! Josuke, what are you saying?!" Issei muttered in shock, surprised by his words. The tall teen didn't pay him any mind though, turning back to Rias and waving.

"You know, you're pretty sly." He chuckled, receiving a smile in return from Rias.

"I am a devil after all." She answered before the circle teleported the two away.

"What were you talking about?" Issei asked, unable to follow the conversation like Josuke apparently had.

"Oh, nothing." Josuke shrugged, walking in front of him now. "So, we going?"

"H-huh?" Issei blanched, slightly recoiling. "But you just said-"

"Man, sometimes you really don't know how to read between the lines." Josuke sighed, shaking his head before giving a goofy smile. "She was basically giving us approval to go."

"Wh-what?" Issei repeated dumbly, scratching his cheek in confusion.

"It's as Higashikata-san said." Kiba added this time, now spotting his sword on his hip. "She said that 'even with a promotion', right? That means she has now recognized the church as enemy lines."

"That's right." Josuke confirmed before glancing at Kiba and Koneko. "But you guys don't have to go. I know it's not your fight."

"When she said he would be in trouble alone, she was giving us the okay to back him up." Kiba replied with a smirk. "You may be enough to do it, but I think more support wouldn't hurt."

"Even you, Koneko-chan?" Issei asked in surprise, looking at the petite girl.

"You three going alone would worry me." Koneko answered simply. Josuke widened his eyes a bit in surprise before giving a kind hearted smile.

"You know, you guys are really **great**."

* * *

The four of them approached the church cautiously. They departed in the darkness, hoping for some element of surprise, though didn't count much on it. The church was surrounded by the woods, and so they were able to move through the shadows of the foliage. They soon approached the abandoned church, taking cover behind the trees. Almost immediately, the entire group felt a dark aura that made them pause for a moment.

"What horrible killing intent…" Issei muttered, glancing around to look for any enemies.

"There must be a large gathering of exorcists inside." Kiba declared, causing Issei and Josuke to gasp.

"Seriously? Damn, I'm really thankful you guys decided to come, then." Issei said appreciatively.

"I coulda taken them…" Josuke mumbled sourly, feeling insulted by Issei's comment. Despite that he also smiled at Kiba and Koneko. "But he's right. Thanks for coming."

"We're a team, after all!" Kiba pointed out with a smile. His demeanor took a bit of a dark turn, though. "To be frank, though, I'm not overly fond of fallen angels and exorcists either. I despise them."

"Kiba?" Issei said, surprised by his sudden change.

"I guess they can piss off just about anyone, huh?" Josuke mused, his eyes narrowed dangerously at the church. "I'm done sitting around, let's go."

"Wait, man! What about the element of surprise?" Issei asked, but Koneko stood up and took the lead. "Koneko-chan?"

"We might as well go straight in. I'm sure they know we're here, anyway." Koneko stated, causing the others to glance at one another before following. As soon as she was in front of the door, the petite girl kicked it open. As they entered, Josuke and Issei scanned the area, looking for any signs of the enemy. It was dark inside, and many of the statues of mother Mary and the cross were crushed at the top.

"This is horrible…" Issei muttered, narrowing his eyes.

"Is it? I mean, it doesn't seem that bad in here..." Josuke honestly mused. The conversation was soon interrupted, a faint clapping heard from the end of the room. A man came into view, wearing a long tailed black coat with a white shirt and pants, and his hair platinum.

"Yo, yo, yo~! It looks like we meet again!" the man declared, his voice a bit scratchy. "I'm getting all sentimental! It's unusual for me to run into the same devil twice, you know."

"Who the hell are you?" Josuke asked, narrowing his eyes in irritation. He wasn't a big fan of the way the man was posturing around.

"Freed… That's the asshole who attacked me last night…" Issei growled, summoning his Sacred Gear.

"It really hurts my pride to see you walking around like this. I'll have to correct that now!" He cackled, licking the barrel of his gun. Josuke stepped forward, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Where's Asia?!" Issei growled, ignoring the exorcist's bait attempt.

"Oh, that junk sister who fell for a devil?" Freed scoffed, turning to look back at the cathedral. "She's at the underground ritual site underneath that altar there. If you can get through me, that i-"

 **DORA!**

While Freed had been talking, Josuke closed the distance between them. With the distance closed, **Crazy Diamond** was well within reach to land a shattering punch to his jaw. Freed lost several teeth in the blow and was launched backward into the altar. Josuke's three companions stared in awe, for the three knew exactly how strong Freed was.

"Sorry, but we're kind of in a hurry. So either get out of our way or I'll break your face." Josuke declared, taking his right hand out and pointing it at Freed, his Stand floating on the opposite side. "To be honest, I wanna beat the shit outta you for what you did to Issei. Lucky for you, though, I'm way more pissed at that bitch, Raynare."

Freed coughed up some of the blood from his mouth, slowly attempting to push himself up. "You… you'll pay for that!" He cried out, lifting up his gun and firing several bullets. Josuke didn't flinch, for in that instant **Crazy Diamond** quickly caught the bullets. The silver haired man stiffened in shock, releasing a breath as the Stand dropped the bullets to the ground.

"You were saying?" Josuke asked, tilting his head in question. Freed shuddered in fear, recoiling back as Josuke took a step forward.

"Forget this! I don't feel like dying right now!" Freed spat, reaching into his coat and pulling out a small ball. "Go and get fried by the fallen angels!" He growled before throwing it down. A flash of light erupted, temporarily blinding the four of them. As soon as they looked back up, the exorcist was gone.

"Wow… you truly are strong, Higashikata-san." Kiba chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "He would have been a decent opponent for any of us."

"I can't believe I was worried about you coming here alone." Issei chuckled, patting him on the back.

"Let's get a move on. Asia's waiting for you." Josuke said, smiling back at the brunette. Koneko walked past the two, kicking the debris from the altar away.

"Let's go." Koneko said. The three quickly nodded, running down the dark steps under the altar. It was quite a ways down, and only a few torches lit their way there. But they paid it no mind, only focusing on their sole objective of saving Asia. Though for Josuke, it was also to pound in Raynare's skull. They soon reached the bottom of the stairs, coming to a dimly lit open room. In front of them were a large number of exorcists, all in black coats and their faces covered. Across the ritual site, there was a high stairs leading up to Raynare, who stood at the top in front of Asia. The blond nun was chained to a jet black crucifix with odd symbols and runes etched into it.

"So you've made it, huh?" Raynare cooed, turning around to look at them with an evil grin. "A bit too late, though."

" **Asia**!" Issei called out, preparing to run forward. Kiba and Josuke quickly grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back.

"Wait, idiot!" Josuke told him, but before they knew it, Raynare had launched a spear of light, causing a shockwave that knocked back Issei and Kiba. Josuke used **Crazy Diamond** to cover himself, standing firm despite skidding against the ground.

"You're too late to stop this now!" Raynare cackled, turning back to Asia's prone form. The small blond slowly glanced up, looking directly at the brunette.

"Issei...san?" She mumbled, tears filling her eyes. Suddenly, the crucifix she was chained to started to glow, the runes coming to life with a green light. Asia started to scream in pain, helplessly struggling against her binds.

"What are they doing?!" Issei cried out, visibly shaking. Josuke was no better, biting his lower lip in fear as he tried to think up a plan. Kiba widened his eyes in realization, quickly drawing his blade.

"So that's what their plan was…" Kiba declared, drawing both boys attention to him. "They wish to extract your friend's Sacred Gear to use it for their own goals."

"Extract her Sacred Gear?!" Issei repeated, doing a double take between Kiba and Asia. "If they do that, what will happen to Asia?!"

"She'll die." Raynare stated darkly, raising her arms to Asia. "Now come, give me your power!" She cackled, the cross glowing brighter and Asia continuing to scream. Finally a small orb of green light rose from her chest. Asia immediately went dark in the eyes, fading into unconsciousness. "Your Twilight Healing… is finally in my grasp."

" **Asia**!" Issei cried out, raising his armored bracer before rushing forward. An exorcist rushed in to stop him, clashing with his Sacred Gear. "Get out of my way!"

"With this new found power, I can conquer love! I will have absolute power!" The fallen angel declared, sighing in content as she brought the green rings to her chest, merging it with herself. A bright green light flashed briefly, Raynare turning around once it was done. "I can now become a supreme fallen angel! I can now pay those back who insulted me and called me weak!"

"Don't give me that crap!" Issei growled, pushing the exorcist away who first attempted to stop him.

"You filthy devil! We'll destroy you!" Another priest growled, and immediately the entire group started to rush forward and attack the brunette. Issei dodged the first and kicked aside a second, but one eluded his notice. Josuke was there to have his back though, quickly smashing the exorcist into the wall with his Stand.

"Issei! Grab Asia and get out! I'll beat the shit outta Raynare, okay?!" Josuke told him, receiving a quick nod in acceptance.

"Alright! I'll trust you to take her!" Issei agreed as the two rushed forward. More exorcists approached the duo, but this time Kiba and Koneko engaged them first. Josuke and Issei widened their eyes in shock as Kiba's sword absorbed one of the blades of light.

"Hyoudou-kun, Higashikata-san. Go on ahead." Kiba told them, smiling back before quickly knocking away another exorcist.

"We'll hold the line with these guys." Koneko added, quickly slamming her fist into the nearest priest.

"Guys…" Issei muttered before smiling. "Thank you!"

"Be careful, you guys!" Josuke said as he followed after the brunette. Raynare watched as they quickly approached, but made no move to attack them. Josuke narrowed his eyes dangerously, slowing to a walk as he let Issei continue forward.

"Asia!" He cried out before reaching the top of the stairs. Issei huffed as he arrived before slowly stepping closer to the blonde's still form.

"Here's your reward for making it this far." Raynare scoffed, snapping her fingers and making the chains around Asia's body vanish. Issei quickly rushed up and caught her, holding the blond gingerly in his arms.

"Asia! Are you alright?" The brunette asked. Asia weakly glanced at him, giving a small smile at the sight of Issei.

"Issei-san…" She muttered weakly, attempting to stay conscious.

"Don't worry, I'm here for you. **We're** here for you. Just hang on." Issei said with a forced smile, attempting to stay strong. He quickly looked back at Josuke, who was now at eye level with Raynare. The fallen angel glared at him with a malicious smile, while the tall teen only continued to glare with narrowed eyes. Raynare expected him to attempt to attack her, but to her surprise he quickly rushed to Issei's side.

"Let me see her. Maybe **Crazy Diamond** can heal her." Josuke offered, summoning his Stand as he knelt down next to Issei. The brunette didn't hesitate to hand Asia over to him. Josuke quickly attempted to heal her, Asia's body being restored but her pale expression never leaving. "Sh-shit! It's not working!" He then whipped around, gnashing his teeth together. "Give us her damn Sacred Gear back!"

"Don't be ridiculous." Raynare scoffed, placing a hand on her hip. "I even lied to my superiors to carry out this plan." She then summoned a lance of light, grinning darkly down at them. "Unfortunately for you, you all have witnessed that. So now you must be eliminated. But dying with her isn't so bad, is it?"

Josuke's eyes shaded under his hair, the tall teen standing up. "You bitch…"

"Higashikata-san!" Kiba called out from below, causing Josuke to pause and glance at the blond. "We're at a disadvantage here! We need to leave!" Josuke was about to open his mouth to reply, but Issei was the first to speak up.

"You were my first girlfriend…" Issei muttered, his shoulders trembling as he closed his eyes.

"Yeah… I was amazed you were so innocent." Raynare chuckled, taking enjoyment out of his pained look. "It's fun to tease someone so inexperienced with girls."

"I was going to cherish our relationship…" Issei continued, grinding his teeth in anger.

"Issei, stop..." Josuke said, attempting to keep his friend from hurting himself further.

"You became so caring when I was even slightly troubled!" Raynare giggled, her facial appearance temporarily becoming like it was when she was pretending to be human. "But all of that was just a pretense! Your face when you were confused or shy was so-"

"Shut your **fucking** mouth!" Josuke suddenly roared, causing both Issei and Raynare to pause. "I'm gettin' real tired of hearing your voice." He then turned back to the brunette and motioned toward the exit with his head. "Issei, go ahead and get Asia out of here. It's not safe. Leave getting her Sacred Gear back to me."

"Josuke…" Issei muttered before nodding. "Kick her ass!" He exclaimed, quickly picking Asia up in his arms and starting to run toward the stairs. Raynare was enraged, but she withheld from moving forward to strike the tall teen. She had a plan set in mind and, even with her power up, she would not dare to underestimate Josuke. _I'll make him pay soon enough._

As Issei reached the bottom of the stairs, several exorcists attempted to attack him, but were quickly blocked by both Koneko and Kiba.

"Koneko, Kiba!" He exclaimed, stopping for a moment to look back at them. They were now standing defensively, covering his back.

"Hyoudou-kun, run!" Kiba quickly called out, clashing with another exorcist. "Koneko-chan and I will hold them back! Go!"

"You guys…" Josuke muttered, glancing back from atop the shrine.

"Believe in us as you do in Higashikata-san! Now go!" Kiba told him, causing Issei to hesitate in leaving his friends.

"Hurry up and run." Koneko added before kicking away a priest. Issei turned his back to them finally, several tears misting his eyes.

"Kiba, Koneko-chan…" He muttered before glancing back at them one last time. "When we get back home, call me 'Issei' from now on! Understand?!" He told them before quickly running up the stairs. The knight and bishop smiled as they fought, touched by the pervert's words. "We're a team, after all!"

"The same goes for me." Josuke called out, smiling down at the two. "You better call me JoJo from now on! … wait, sorry, I mean Josuke." He quickly corrected before turning back to Raynare. "What's wrong, bitch? I thought you would've attacked me by now. You scared? I thought you were all powerful now." He goaded, causing Raynare to narrow her eyes before smiling mischievously.

"You left yourself open to try and lure me in." Raynare pointed out, crossing her arms. "Because at the moment, I'm out of your range. That is a rather large weakness if I do say so myself. Why don't you come to me?" She asked, causing Josuke to grind his teeth.

"You've been standing there for a bit. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were waiting for **me** to approach you. Am I right?" Josuke analyzed, Raynare slightly gripping her hand in frustration. Suddenly a thought came to her, and she smiled wickedly.

"You know, I heard that you also have another weakness. Something about your hair?"

Immediately, Josuke popped a vein on top of his head, his hair now casting a shadow over his eyes.

"Oh that's right, you don't like to hear what **utter shit** your hair looks like." Raynare added, causing Koneko and Kiba to pause in their fight below.

"Don't fall for it, Josuke-san! She's trying to lure you in!" Kiba attempted to stop him, but all of Josuke's sense of danger and logic now left him.

"What the fuck… **did you say about my hair**?!" Josuke growled out, several strands standing up on the top of his head. No doubt, Josuke was furious before. He was planning to beat the shit out of Raynare no matter what. But he was still in control, able to keep himself from making stupid moves. Now? All of that was thrown out the window. He stomped toward Raynare, attempting to close the distance between them.

"You fool." She taunted. As soon as Josuke reached within his Stand's range of Raynare, a light suddenly shined under his foot. Despite the fact that he was still in a blind rage, he instinctively glanced down. He was able to snap out of his monster mode and widened his eyes.

"Oh shi-" He cursed, summoning **Crazy Diamond** to the front to defend him, the Stand crossing its arms in front. His instincts were right to do so, for the circle of light exploded up from there and hit his Stand hard. It sent him flying backward, his arms feeling like they had been hit by a car. Josuke was blown down the stairs and crashed into the ground past the crowd of exorcists and his friends.

"Josuke-san!" Kiba called out, afraid for the condition his friend might be in. Josuke coughed hard, the wind knocked out of him from the attack.

"Shit, I got careless…" He muttered, forcing himself to stand. "That hurt a bit, but don't think it's gonna save you!" Josuke growled out, taking several steps forward to rush back up the stairs. Suddenly, as before, a light shined below his foot, and he immediately paled.

"Another one?!" He groaned, but this time was able to evade being blasted since he wasn't fully on it. It shot up like a beam, almost reaching the roof of the ritual site. "That doesn't make sense! We ran through here perfectly fine earlier!"

"They're called light mines." Raynare declared, placing a hand on her hip. "As soon as you activated the light mine in front of me, the rest were immediately armed afterward. If you step on them, it'll blow you away. You may be human, but light can still kill you."

"Josuke-san, be careful! They don't appear until you step on them! If you're careless, you may step on another one!" Kiba said, hesitating to move from his spot alongside Koneko.

"Make sure you don't move either! You'll get fried way worse than I will!" Josuke told them, fearfully glancing around the room. He spotted a small rock that kicked up when he was blown back, grabbing it and rolling it along the ground. It went several meters forward before stopping, making a grin spread across his face.

"It should be safe at least this far." Josuke mused aloud, taking several steps forward, cautiously glancing up at Raynare. She only continued to watch him silently, grinning at his current predicament. _Just you wait, I'm gonna-_

Suddenly a light shined again in Josuke's face, causing him to turn his attention back to where he was stepping. He quickly summoned **Crazy Diamond** yet again to block the light. It burst upward, causing him to fling backward onto the ground. He groaned in pain, the wind knocked out of him once again.

"What the hell… I thought I checked the distance with the rock…?" Josuke muttered, pushing himself up with one arm. He panted as he looked forward, now seeing that the rock was still ahead of where the light mine had been set off. Raynare burst out in laughter, holding her stomach.

"You fool! These mines are created by magic! They have certain conditions placed on them so that they activate when I wish!" Raynare explained, pointing at Josuke. "They will not set off should I or one of my exorcists step on them, or if a piece of debris or nonliving thing goes over them either. But as for you and your devil friends, they'll activate immediately!"

"Son of a bitch. I'll have to play the guessing game after all…" Josuke muttered, pushing up to his feet.

"You should be flattered, worthless human." Raynare chuckled, summoning a light lance to her hand. "To force a superior being such as myself to have to prepare traps just for you. When we saw your powers, we were quite worried you might cause problems. Perhaps that will console you before you **die**!" She roared before raising the spear of light and launching it at the tall teen. Raynare launched it behind the tall teen to cause another explosion, forcing him to think fast.

 _I can't catch it with **Crazy Diamond**! I have to get out of the blast radius!_ Josuke thought in a panic, weighing his options. Rolling forward wouldn't be good, because if he was dazed by a light mine, he would be open to attack from an exorcist. He had to bet on rolling left or right. _Now or nothing!_ He told himself, and finally he jumped to the left. The light spear exploded on impact with the ground, doing no damage to the tall teen. But much to his dismay, as soon as he landed, another light mine started to shine under him. _Damn it!_ Josuke did his best to twist his body to the side, but the light mine was able to graze his side. It didn't quite burn, but it was painful. Josuke landed on the ground with a thud, gripping his side in pain.

"Josuke-san!" Kiba cried out, but unable to move to help him. _These mines really are everywhere. If Koneko-chan or I move, we'll be worse off than him_.

"You look so pathetic, lying on the ground like that!" Raynare cackled, pointing at Josuke tauntingly. "You're just all talk, aren't you? Your power is only fearsome if I am foolish enough to let you get close. At a distance, you're just as weak as that pathetic boy who became a devil!" Her final sentence was fuel to his anger again, forcing Josuke to his feet.

"You…" Josuke muttered, raising his head so his eyes would meet Raynare's, a dark glare leveled at the fallen angel. "Don't **ever** talk shit about Issei! He's the **strongest** guy I know! Don't act like you know shit about him!" The tall teen growled out before attempting to rush forward once again.

* * *

Issei ran up the stairs with Asia in his arms. He wasn't sure exactly what to do with the nun, but he knew getting her out of danger was the best he could do at the moment. As he entered the altar he set Asia down in one of the booths. He didn't know what to do. Could he take her to Rias? No, if Josuke couldn't heal her, then Rias wouldn't be able to help anymore. _What do I do?_

"Asia! Hang in there!" Issei pleaded, looking back at the altar. "Jo-Josuke will be here any second with your Sacred Gear! Just hang in there and we'll be able to play all the time together!"

"Issei…" Asia muttered, reaching her hand up toward the brunette. Issei quickly took it in his own, comforting her as much as possible.

"Save your strength! We're going to get out of here together, okay?!" Issei pleaded, massaging her hand comfortingly.

"It wasn't for long, but… I'm so happy to have made a friend." Asia mumbled, glancing at Issei weakly. Issei's eyes started to fill with tears again, shaking his head.

"W-what are you saying?! There are still tons of places I want to show you!" Issei dismissed, leaning in closer to the nun. "Karaoke bars, amusement parks, bowling alleys…" Issei started to list off desperately in hope to keep her awake. The blond smiled weakly, touched by his words as her own eyes misted. "We'll even get more Pikachu dolls! And-and… you have to get to know Josuke more! He already considers you a friend, but you-you need to see him like I do! O-oh, and my friends Motohama and Matsuda! They're perverted, but they're really nice guys…" He trailed off, gripping her hand between both of his. His tears started to escape his eyes, dripping onto both of their hands.

"We'll have a big party! A huge one! Just… just hang on!" Issei pleaded desperately, smiling as strongly as possible.

"If I had been born here and gone to school with you…" Asia started, giving a genuinely happy smile to the brunette. "It would have been so wonderful…"

"I-I can take you! No, you're definitely coming. I'll take you…" Issei pushed, but closed his eyes as he tried to muster up more strength. Asia gently stroked his cheek, causing him to look at her once more.

"You're crying for me. I couldn't ask for more…" She declared, widening her frail smile. "Thank you…" She muttered before her hand finally fell stiff. Issei stared at her still form, choking slightly as he processed what had just happened. Asia had just died.

"Asia… why…?" Issei muttered, taking the blond into his arms and hugging her close. "Why did you have to die? You were a kind girl who would heal anyone, even demons…" He begged, pressing her cheek to his as he continued to cry. " **Asia!** "

"Man~! What a racket you're making. It's really annoying."

Issei suddenly froze, quickly turning his attention to the entrance of the church. Standing there was Freed, who was leaning against the door frame. The crazed exorcist smiled sadistically, strutting slowly inside.

"You… I thought you ran?" Issei growled, gently placing Asia back on the booth. "What do you want?!"

"Oh, nothing really. I was just going to wait out and see how the battle went. I was hoping that perhaps only one of you survived, that asshole with the funny hair, and that I'd be able to catch him with his guard down. Looks like not, though." Freed sighed dramatically before grinning sinisterly at Issei. "But at least the ritual went as planned. That pathetic girl is dead now, huh? That's a relief. She was pretty damn worthless."

"Don't…" Issei muttered before raising his arm to his side. "Don't you **ever** talk bad about Asia!" He growled as his crimson bracer started to shine. "I'll make you **pay** for saying that shit!"

 **Boost!**

The bracer almost proclaimed. Freed only laughed, raising his gun at Issei. "Come on then, devil brat! I'll erase you completely!"

"Kiba! Give me your speed!" Issei called out, the form of a knight piece surrounded him for a brief moment. As soon as the exorcist fired his gun, Issei was able to dodge the bullets with enhanced speed, moving in a zigzag line before heading straight for Freed.

"Got a little more bite in you, huh?" Freed laughed, activating his light blade and clashing with Issei's armored bracer. Issei growled as he was pushed back a bit by the exorcist's strength. "But that won't help you now! I'll make sure you disappear!"

"Don't count on it!" Issei roared, his Sacred Gear glowing again. "Koneko-chan, give me your strength!" He called out, the rook piece now enveloping him. He was able to turn the tables and push back against the exorcist. Freed widened his eyes in shock as Issei broke his guard and followed up with a quick blow to his sternum. "I'll make you pay for what you said about Asia!" He launched Freed across the room, knocking the wind out of him along with some blood, crashing into a group of benches.

"Yo-you shit eating devil…" Freed grumbled bitterly, attempting to push himself to his feet. "You and that girl… are both just trash…"

"Trash that kicked your ass." Issei scoffed, taking several steps forward before raising his arm again. "I'll make you apolog-"

Two gunshots went off, causing Issei to tense. His legs suddenly gave out, both of them being shot through by Freed's pistol. The exorcist panted tiredly, but smiled wickedly as he cackled. "I'll admit, you surprised me with that strength, but… looks like you're done now." He slowly approached Issei, spinning the gun in his hand. The brunette grinded his teeth in frustration, and attempted to push himself to his feet.

"I'll commend you for putting up such a fight. Raynare-sama told me that you possess a pretty weak Sacred Gear, but you got some good hits in." Freed scoffed, raising the gun and pointing it directly at Issei's head. "At least you have some sort of high note to go out on, huh?"

Suddenly, before Freed could react, Issei reached up and grabbed the gun, causing him to shudder. Issei still possessed the power of the rook, and used it to crush the gun in his hand. "Wh-what?! Those bullets should be making light burn through your body!"

"It is… it hurts like nothing I've ever felt…" Issei groaned, forcing himself to stand up despite the blood spilling from his thighs. "But… I don't even care. Asia… Asia suffered **far more** than I am!" The brunette exclaimed, forcing himself toward the exorcist.

"D-don't act all smug! You're still way too weak to beat me!" Freed proclaimed, this time attempting to slash Issei. Issei quickly raised his arm and blocked the slash, grinding his teeth in strain.

"Smug? No, I'm not acting smug…" Issei muttered as his bracer started to glow once again. "I'm **pissed off**! I'm going to make you pay for what you did to Asia, and make you take back what you've said!" Suddenly, the Sacred Gear started to transform, now spreading further across his arm and hand to cover his fingers with claw like armor.

 **Dragon Explosion!** The bracer sounded, releasing a powerful shockwave that pushed back the exorcist

"Wh-what?! I thought it was just a Twice Critical? H-how?" Freed asked in a panic, recoiling backward in fear. Issei took one step forward, causing the exorcist to shutter. "D-don't fuck with me!" He growled, finally mustering up his courage and rushing at Issei. The brunette released his devil wings and used them to fly forward, bringing his Sacred Gear forward and knocking the light blade out of his hand. Issei then grabbed Freed by the throat, gnashing his teeth together.

"I trust Josuke to beat down your master, but…" Issei growled, cocking his Sacred Gear back. "You can go and die with her!" he roared as he brought his arm around and landed a devastating shot to the exorcists jaw. Freed spat in pain before being flung out of the church and flying through the stained glass windows above. Issei huffed for air before falling back on his knees. "Serves you right, bastard…" He muttered before falling to all fours and breathing heavily. "Josuke… the rest is up to you."

Without warning, the entrance to the underground ritual site exploded, causing Issei to turn in shock to see a black winged figure sent flying through it.

* * *

Josuke panted, heavily in pain. He had made several attempts to approach the shrine, hoping to close the distance. All attempts had failed, not only because of the light mines, but also a mixture of the fact that Raynare continued to launch light spears at him, and her exorcists also tried to attack him. Of course, he could beat down those who came near him and deflect her light spears, but both actions had sometimes forced him to move several steps, and in doing so, set off another mine. Koneko and Kiba were doing well to keep from moving too much, but that also meant being unable to help him. They had enough of their own trouble though, dealing with the exorcists while being forced to stand in one spot.

"This is starting to get boring. Are you coming up here or not?" Raynare taunted with a sigh, pushing hair out of her eyes. Josuke was silent for a moment, glancing around the room and assessing his options. _I really am getting nowhere. I need to-_

" **Asia!** " Issei's voice echoed through the cavern, causing Josuke to widen his eyes and turn back to look at where the brunette departed.

"Th-that was Issei. Don't tell me that…" Josuke muttered shakily, hoping against hope that the cry was not for the reason in his head.

"Oh, so she's dead now, huh?" Raynare cooed, giggling in amusement. "Took her a bit longer than I expected. Perhaps she got to say some cute parting words to Issei?" She reason, grinning wickedly down at the tall teen. Josuke's breath hitched at her words, his thoughts confirmed by the fallen angel.

Josuke's eyes became shaded by his hair, biting his lip and gripping his hand in frustration. "First, you kill my best friend over some bullshit he was unaware of…" Josuke muttered, slowly glancing back up at the fallen angel. "Then, you took the life of an innocent, kind girl like Asia just to make yourself stronger…"

"That's right. The strong must devour the weak to survive. I have been called weak by many fallen angels, but with this new power I will step above them all!" Raynare cackled, forming light spear. "What can you possibly do against me?!"

Josuke only glanced up at her with a stone cold expression, his anger spilling over into a dark aura. "I'm going to make you pay for what you've done, bitch."

"You've said that several times now! It's just noise on repeat!" Raynare taunted, pointing at Josuke. "Do you think you can really get up here?!"

"Nah. I think I'll make you come down to me instead." Josuke shrugged, causing Raynare to pause and raise a brow.

"What was that?"

 **DORA!** Josuke's Stand suddenly roared, punching the ground with heavy force. No light mine was set off, only creating a crater and a dust cloud, and several rocks created by impact. Josuke picked up as many rocks as possible with **Crazy Diamond** , cradling it in one arm. Josuke's Stand then wound up like a pitcher in a baseball game and tossed the rock at high speed. Raynare widened her eyes in shock, but quickly avoided the rock by moving her head, the debris planting itself into the wall behind her. She clicked her tongue in annoyance, spreading her wings and floating up.

"Now you're just getting desperate. Throwing rocks like some sort of ape." Raynare scoffed, crossing her arms in irritation. Josuke didn't make a sound or even change his expression, he only remained stern as **Crazy Diamond** took several more rocks and tossed them as hard as he could at the fallen angel.

"How pathetic!" Raynare laughed, quickly dodging the rocks from side to side. "This is just becoming sad and it's boring me! Exorcists! Take his head for me!"

"Yes, Raynare-sama!" The Exorcist chanted, turning their attention away from Koneko and Kiba and rushing at Josuke. Josuke only scoffed, summoning his Stand to meet them.

"You cannot escape us!" An exorcist shouted as they attempt to surround him and come at him with their blades.

"Careful, Josuke-san!" Kiba called out, **Crazy Diamond** soon alleviated all worry from both Kiba and Koneko.

 **DORARARARARARARARA~!** The Stand growled as it engaged all of the priests from all fronts, smashing them away with his faster than light speed punches. They barely knew what hit them before they were sent flying away. But he wasn't given much time to rest, for Raynare followed up by throwing another light spear toward his feet. Josuke looked at the ground, considering making a stone wall, but saw that he had already smashed the ground and could not do so.

"Damn it!" Josuke cursed as he took another risky move, this time rolling to the right and avoiding the spear. As he had half expected, a light shined beneath him that could only make him grimace. This time though, he used his Stand to try to kick off away from the mine. As he did though, the tall teen found a light spear piercing his leg. He cried out in pain, falling to the ground as he barely avoided the light spear.

"What a beautiful scream~! I want to hear it more." Raynare cackled, forming another weapon to throw.

"Josuke-san!" Kiba said, grimacing. He felt almost useless standing in the same place for this entire fight, and he had enough. Perhaps if he could activate his super speed, he could avoid them and make it to Josuke. "I'm coming to yo-"

" **Don't move!** " Josuke ordered him, causing the blond to stop in his tracks. Josuke rolled to his stomach, panting in pain. "I'm gonna… take this bitch down… I don't want you guys getting hurt…"

"Such concern for your friends." Raynare giggled, spinning her weapon in her fingers. "Perhaps it'll be fun to kill them off first!" she cooed, raising her arm and taking aim at Koneko. The petite girl narrowed her eyes, weighing her options as it became evident that she was now almost a hostage in this situation.

 **DORA!**

Raynare hesitated in her attack, looking back at Josuke to see a dust cloud once again kicked up by his Stand. Seconds later, several more rocks flew through it, causing the fallen angel quickly dodge to the side, having trouble this time since they seemed to fly faster than before. Raynare clicked her tongue, trying to get a good look at Josuke.

"Trying with the stupid rock throwing again? This is truly pathetic!" Raynare scoffed, floating back down to the altar. The dust started to clear, and Josuke was sitting on the ground and staring up at her with a blank expression, her words seemingly having no affect. The look on Josuke's face only served to piss off Raynare, for it told her that despite Raynare's heavy advantage at the moment, Josuke was unfazed. She grinded her teeth in frustration, but suddenly a thought popped into her mind and she smiled.

"I hadn't thought about it before, but don't you have healing powers?" Raynare asked, looking at all of the wounds Josuke received during their fight. "Your leg is still hurt and the wounds you received from the light mines are still there. Don't tell me you cannot even heal yourself?" She asked, but Josuke remained silent, continuing to stare at her the same way as before. Raynare didn't wait for his answer, starting to laugh tauntingly.

"I can't believe it, how worthless! A power to heal that you can't even use on yourself? That is so pathetic!" Raynare cackled, shaking her head in disappointment. But suddenly, Josuke did something that threw her off completely.

Josuke smiled.

 **(JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OST-Stardust Crusaders)**

"Wh-what the hell are you smiling about?" Raynare barked in frustation, the confidence he suddenly seemed to have aggravating her.

"You know, for a second there, I thought you guys mighta been halfway smart." Josuke declared, his smile brimming with amusement. "But it turns out you're as dumb as you look, bitch."

"The hell did you just say to me?!" Raynare growled, raising her arm to throw her light spear. "I've had enough of your mouth! Die, pathetic human!"

"My power isn't exactly healing, dumbass." Josuke suddenly said, causing Raynare to pause once again.

"What?"

"Heal is the wrong word. It's more like fixing than healing." Josuke explained, forcing himself to his feet despite the wounded leg. "You're right, I can't heal it. But I don't really just fix people. I can fix anything I've touched or that **Crazy Diamond** has touched."

"That's true. He was able to repair my clothes." Koneko declared quietly, glancing up at Raynare. The fallen angel gripped her hand and scoffed.

"So what does that mean?! So what if you can 'fix' things, it's still worthless!" Raynare barked bitterly, the fact that he seemed so confident pissing her off further.

"I can repair just about anything, from a person's wounds to someone's clothes…" Josuke trailed off, motioning to Koneko before his grin became sly. "... Or the stone that I crumbled up a bit."

"Wh-what?" Raynare stuttered, looking at the ground in front of him. It started to glow with a pinkish light, as well as the spot he had previously punched, but nothing seemed to be happening. "Wh-what are you talking about?! It doesn't look like it's fixing anything!"

"I have to use the pieces that I detached, dumbass. The rocks are just behind you." Josuke pointed out. Raynare widened her eyes in fear before glancing back at the wall. As he said, the rocks Josuke had thrown were now floating in air with a pinkish glow to them, some of them combining together to become bigger.

"N-no way-" Raynare exclaimed before attempting to fly up, but it was too late. The rocks shot at her at incredible speeds, digging into her back and her wings and keeping her from going anywhere. Raynare gasped in pain, unable to stop the rocks.

"They won't just stop there. Like I said, I'm bringing you down to me." Josuke declared, and suddenly the rocks started to pull again, flying Raynare forward toward the tall teen. She shuddered in fear as she approached him, **Crazy Diamond** appearing behind Josuke as she approached. The Stand quickly grabbed her throat when she finally reached Josuke.

"So what was that you were saying before? Something about being all powerful?" Josuke asked, putting a hand to his ear. "Or being a superior being?" Raynare struggled in his grip, the Stand's hold on her throat far too tight to speak. "I guess it doesn't matter now. All I want to hear you do is beg for forgiveness from my best friend." Josuke declared, turning around and positioning Raynare toward the exit.

"Pl-please… spare me…" Raynare choked out, but Josuke was having none of it.

"You don't get to ask to be spared. All you can do is beg." He declared before his smile fell and turned to a dark glare.

"But not until after you've paid for what you've done."

In that instant, **Crazy Diamond** released Raynare from its grip, only to follow up with a heavy fist rush.

 **DORARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARRARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARA~!** The Stand roared, doing the longest raid of punches that Josuke had ever done in his life. He had no mercy, and showed no signs of sympathy toward the fallen angel. Raynare herself was now in the most painful experience of her life, almost going numb during the beatdown. She blacked out more than once, but each punch woke her up and knocked her back out repeatedly. Kiba and Koneko watched the onslaught of fists in awe, unable to turn away or tell Josuke to stop. Finally, feeling a bit satisfied with his work, Josuke let the beat down stop for one last punch. **DORA~!** it cried one final time, winding up its fist and landing a punch so strong that it blasted the fallen angel up the stairs and through the entrance to the main church altar.

"Huh. So much for that all that 'absolute power'." Josuke scoffed, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I guess my rage was way more than absolute."

* * *

Issei gaped in awe as Raynare flew past him overhead, her face a beaten mess and barely looking alive. "Raynare…?" He muttered, for a moment barely recognizing her before grinning widely. "Josuke, you did it!" he cried out with a laugh. He attempted to push himself to his feet, but slightly tripped back over again. Issei panted tiredly, but continued to smile. He glanced at Asia and let several tears stream down his cheek. "I told you… Josuke was strong…" He muttered before almost falling on his face. That was until two large familiar silver and pink arms grabbed his own, keeping him from hitting the ground.

"Careful there, buddy." Josuke said, using his Stand's fixing ability to immediately heal the brunette up. Issei felt the pain disappear, able to help himself up.

"Thanks, Josuke. You really pulled through…" Issei said grinning in appreciation at first before widening his eyes. Josuke was a beaten mess, and was now leaning on Kiba's shoulder for support. "Whoa! Are you alright?!" He asked, quickly going to Josuke's other side and helping him walk.

"Yeah, I'm not bad. It looks worse than it is." Josuke weakly assured, though not fighting against the support Issei gave.

"Josuke-san was quite amazing. He's as smart as he is strong." Kiba chuckled, he and Issei helping him walk along the hall.

"He looked pretty cool." Koneko added as she walked up the stairs behind them. She jogged past the three, heading outside for some reason.

"So what happened to you? Did you run into another fallen angel or something?" Josuke asked in concern, glancing at Issei's arm. "Whoa! Did that thing get cooler?!"

"Huh?" Issei asked before glancing at his arm. "Oh, uh yeah, I guess." Issei chuckled. "I ran into Freed again and… it just sort of changed. I got a lot stronger thanks to that…"

"I told you that it was stronger than you thought." Josuke chuckled, offering a kind smile. Issei tried to smile back, but the thought of Asia came back to him. He glanced back at her lifeless body, causing the others to do the same.

"Asia…" He muttered, frowning sullenly.

"Shit…" Josuke cursed, biting his lower lip. "I… I'm sorry, Issei…"

"So you were able to unlock it." The three heard a voice, causing them to glance behind to see Rias now leaning against the damaged altar.

"President!" Issei said in surprise, blinking at the red haired girl.

"I was wondering if you were going to show up." Josuke mused aloud. "But then again, I was also wondering where the other fallen angels were. I'm guessing that has something to do with you?"

"I told you I had my own business to take care of, didn't I?" Rias coyly responded, only offering a smirk in answer. "Once I finished with that, I teleported here. I'm glad to see you all made it through. I was hoping you might unlock your hidden power by fighting here tonight, but since Josuke was so set on fighting Raynare himself, I wasn't so sure."

"He pulled through just fine on his own." Josuke chuckled, glancing at Issei from the side. "I knew you would."

"I knew you'd take care of her, too." Issei replied, smiling back at his friend. The doors to the church burst open, Koneko walking back in with Raynare in tow, dragged along the floor uncaring.

"I've got her." Koneko announced, dropping the fallen angel to the ground. Rias raised a brow curiously, seeing now that the fallen angel was damaged heavily and barely alive.

"My, you were quite brutal in your fight, weren't you?" Rias chuckled, taking a stance in front of Raynare.

"She had it coming." Josuke shrugged, patting both boys on the shoulder. "I'm okay from here." Kiba and Issei glanced at each other doubtfully, but nodded and let Josuke stand on his own. The tall teen toughened through the pain, standing at Rias' side and shoving his hands in his pockets. "So what do we do with her now?"

"Eliminate her." Rias stated simply, causing Josuke to slightly widen his eyes for a moment. "Would you mind healing her up slightly? Enough so that she can speak and… is less of an eyesore."

"Sure." Josuke agreed, letting his Stand come out and run a hand over her face and lungs. Raynare gasped for air, shivering in fear. When she glanced upwards, she came face to face with Crazy Diamond and cried out in terror, forcing herself to a sitting position and attempting to back away.

"Shut up, you're friggin' noisy." Josuke complained, dismissing his Stand so that Raynare would cease her shouting.

"Hello there, fallen angel Raynare. It's nice to finally meet you." Rias declared, smiling down at scared girl. "I am Rias Gremory."

"S-so you're from the Gremory household…" Raynare whispered, shivering slightly.

"That's right. Also, so you know…" Rias started, holding out her hand and letting several black feathers drop to the ground, causing Raynare paled in shock. "I blasted away your friends." That was when Raynare looked truly helpless. Her friends were dead, and now she was alone. At the mercy of a devil, her peerage, and the human who had just beat her senseless.

"Blasted away?" Issei repeated, glancing at Kiba in question.

"Our master is known the 'Crimson Haired Ruin Princess', or the 'Princess of Destruction'."

"Destruction? That's amazing. I didn't think we were serving that kind of master." Issei admitted, looking in awe of the red haired devil.

"Those are some pretty straight out titles." Josuke chuckled, crossing his arms in front of him. He fully expected Rias was planning to destroy Raynare, which was fine in his book. One less monster to worry about.

"How dare you…" Raynare suddenly growled, looking genuinely hurt by the revelation that her allies were dead.

"When Dohnaseek attacked Issei, I knew that there would most likely be more of you in town." Rias declared, placing her hands on her hips. "We figured you were plotting something, but it was none of our concern. Had you not caused us trouble, we would have left you alone, but…"

"W-was this for me, president?" Issei asked, surprised by her words. Rias glanced back at him and smiled before turning back to Raynare. "You could say it was for my servant and a friend." Josuke didn't say anything, only smiling from the side. "By the way, fallen angel. You once called my servant's Sacred Gear a twice critical, correct? It is much more than that."

"I-it is?" Issei asked, blinking in shock.

"What?!" Raynare breathed out, glancing at Issei.

"It is a weapon that doubles the power of its wielder every ten seconds temporarily, and even allowing those who possess it temporarily to surpass devils and gods in power for a time… It is one of the Thirteen Longinus: The Gauntlet of the Emperor Red Dragon, **Boosted Gear**!"

Raynare gasped in amazement, trembling as she looked at the ground. _That boy has something that can bring ruin to even gods?!_

"It has great power, but it takes time to power up, so it's not considered almighty." Rias pointed out, glancing back at Issei again. "While you have gained more power, Issei, you must still be wary. You will face far more experienced enemies in the future who will not be taken down so easily." She then turned back to finish off the fallen angel. "Now, begone."

"Issei-kun!"

Suddenly the group tensed, Issei immediately hitching his breath. Raynare was now in her innocent guise as Amano Yuuma. She wore a pink blouse and a black skirt, her features looking a bit younger than before. Issei felt his chest clench, unable to stop himself from taking a step toward the fallen angel.

"Please help me! I said mean things, but it was part of my duty as a fallen angel!" Raynare declared fragilely, making Issei waver slightly in his resolve. Josuke was quiet, slowly moving to Issei's side without making a sound, his expression unreadable.

"Yuuma-chan…" Issei said, the name escaping his mouth without his permission. He took another step forward, unable to control himself fully.

"Look, I still have this!" Raynare exclaimed weakly, holding her wrist up to show him a scrunchy. "It's proof of what I said! You remember this, right? You bought it for me."

Issei visibly trembled, casting his gaze away from the raven haired girl. "Why do you have that?" He muttered, unable to help himself anymore. Josuke wanted to say something, to pound Raynare's face in again so that she would stop talking. But this was something he had to do. Issei had to let her go. Josuke glanced at Rias, who met his gaze knowingly, and the two had an unspoken agreement: neither of them would make the choice for him.

"I couldn't just throw it away!" the fallen angel spoke, her guise giving no edge to her true self. "Because I…"

"This is bad." Kiba whispered before glancing at Koneko. "Let's go." He said, receiving a nod from the petite girl. The two started to run forward, but Rias quickly halted them with a hand. Josuke didn't bother to look back or even mutter a word to Issei. _Let her go, brother_.

"Please save me, Issei-kun!" 'Yuuma' pleaded, her eyes filling with tears. Issei felt his own eyes mist, quickly shutting them tightly.

"You are so…" Issei mumbled, unable to contain the emotions welling up inside him. There was no denying it, he truly treasured his time with Raynare as his girlfriend. It made him feel special, like a girl genuinely cared for him. It was something different, but something that felt good. But Issei had to face the harsh truth of it all so that he could let go.

 _It was all a lie…_

"Please, president." Issei suddenly spoke, turning his back to Raynare. The fallen angel widened her eyes in fear before glancing at the crimson haired devil. But it was Josuke who stepped forward first.

"Allow me." Josuke said, **Crazy Diamond** appearing at his side. Issei suddenly stopped himself, quickly turning back to his best friend. Rias' words from the other day went through his mind, and suddenly the fear crept up inside. _Wh-what if he does do it? What if… it changes Josuke?_

"Josuke, wai-" Issei tried to urge him, but was too late.

 **DORA!** his Stand cried out, and in one quick motion, pierced through Raynare's chest like he did against Dohnaseek. The fallen angel barely had time to react, the tall teen giving little warning of his attack. Raynare coughed up blood, her eyes going blank as she struggled to breath. "By the way, we need these back for our friend." Josuke declared, slowly withdrawing **Crazy Diamond's** arm from her chest. In its hand, the Stand held out the two rings that were the source of Asia's healing ability.

"Here, take this and give it back to her for me." Josuke spoke, turning around and holding the Sacred Gear out to Rias. To his surprise, the crimson haired girl looked at him with worried eyes. Josuke seemed unperturbed though, almost too calm about what he did. "What's wrong?"

Rias was quiet for a moment before sighing and shaking her head. "Nothing. Give them here." Rias dismissed, taking the two rings from his hand. Rias headed to Asia's prone body, but Issei hesitated for a moment. Josuke was still standing in the same spot, but was now turned back to Raynare's dying form. She was still barely alive, choking on her own blood and twitching in pain.

"Josuke…" Issei muttered, approaching Josuke from behind and placing a hand on his shoulder. The tall teen's back was to him, making it hard for Issei to read his feelings.

"Oi, Issei…" Josuke suddenly muttered, causing the brunette to glance up at him. "Sorry about this, but… I guess I'm not as tough as I thought."

"Wh-what?" Issei muttered in question, recoiling his head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I thought I would be able to kill her and feel fine, but…" Josuke mumbled, his hand gripping tightly before glancing back at Issei. "But it's leaving a bad taste in my mouth."

Issei stared at Josuke for a time, trying to understand what he was getting at. He glanced between Josuke and Raynare's prone figure before finally it clicked in him. Issei smiled and gave a nod. "I understand. Go ahead. You're no weaker for wanting to."

"Are you sure?" Josuke asked, unable to contain his worry. "She did a lot to you, and I mean, **a lot.** I'm willing to live with this." The tall teen declared, turning fully back to Issei. "I just-"

"Don't worry, Josuke." Issei cut him off, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I know that you were hurt just as much as me. Emotionally at least." He joked, earning a weak chuckle from Josuke. "If you feel like you need to, then… go ahead."

"What are you two doing?" Rias suddenly asked from across the room, causing them to turn and regard her. Josuke sighed before clapping his hands together and bowing apologetically.

"I'm sorry, president! But I'm not quite as tough as I thought!" He proclaimed. Rias opened her mouth to question what he meant, but Josuke didn't give her time to do so. He quickly spun around and summoned **Crazy Diamond** , the Stand reaching out and putting a hand over the hole in Raynare's chest.

"Josuke, what are you doing?!" Rias asked in shock, completely taken off guard. She glanced at Issei in question, but the teen only smiled back at her. It was Rias this time that remembered the talk she had with Issei. As it turns out, it was Issei who was right. _Don't worry, buddy. You're tougher than anyone._

Raynare gasped for air, quickly pushing away from Josuke in fear. She ran a hand over her chest frantically. "Yo-you! What did you do to me! Why am I… healed?" the fallen angel asked, glancing down at her chest. Josuke stood up, shoving his hands back in his pocket before turning away. Raynare stared at his back for a moment, processing what had transpired before grinding her teeth. "Why did you heal me?!" She growled, unable to shut her mouth. Josuke stopped for a moment before glancing back at her with a bored expression.

"Honestly? Because killing someone while they're down left a bad taste in my mouth. Nothing else." Josuke shrugged before turning back to Rias. "Sorry about that, prez. This is-

"Are you **pitying** me?!" Raynare growled out, tears of rage filling her eyes. "I will not be pitied! I am a fallen angel who was once considered the weakest! I worked hard to-"

" **Damn straight**!" Josuke roared, whipping around and pointing a finger at the fallen angel, who winced in fear. "You looked **real** pathetic lying on the ground, **dying** like that! Who **wouldn't** pity something like that? If you've got a problem with it, then come at me!" Josuke declared, **Crazy Diamond** appearing on the opposite side of him. "I'll put you right back on the ground!"

Immediately Raynare recoiled, fear filling her body again. All pride was now gone, for she was completely at mercy of those present. And she did **not** want to be completely punched out like before.

"Josuke…" Rias called out, approaching the tall teen and crossing her arms. "I understand feeling bad about what you did, but you could have just let me finish her instead."

"Sorry, prez! My mistake!" Josuke apologized again, scratching his head. "It's like I said. I'm… not as tough as I thought."

Rias stared at him for a long moment before turning to Issei this time. "Are you really okay with this? This fallen angel has hurt you in more ways than one. Are you really okay with letting her live?" Issei hesitated for a moment, his gaze going down to the floor.

"You're right, she has done horrible things." Issei muttered, glancing back up at Rias. "Asia is… gone because of her. I died because of her. But…" he then glanced at Josuke and gave a small smile. "But if my best friend, who had been trying to get revenge for what happened, is willing to save her despite that, then… I'm okay with it."

Rias glanced back and forth between Issei and Josuke, assessing her options. She could tell now that Issei was not sparing Raynare's life for her sake, but for Josuke's. The tall teen had been able to fight the dark desire of killing the one person he had been chasing the past week. She could not make that in vain. Rias finally sighed before rubbing her head and giving a small smile. _How could I walk all over such a choice? They were the ones wronged, after all._

"You two know how to make things a bit difficult." She chuckled before turning her attention to the cowering form of Raynare. "Alright, we will spare her life. I have a few connections that will help. We will turn her over to the Grigori. I'm sure they will not be very pleased to hear of one of their fallen angels going rogue for more power. Do you?" Risa asked, crouching down in front of the fallen angel with her knees in front.

"N-No! Please, they-they'll punish me!" Raynare begged, but Josuke wasn't hearing it.

"If you wanna complain, I could always kill you again." Josuke retorted, causing the fallen angel to become silent and bite her tongue.

"Then it's settled, we'll be handing you over." Rias chuckled, standing up straight and glancing to the exit. "Akeno, please take the prisoner somewhere safe."

"Yes, president~!" Akeno giggled as she entered the church, now wearing a shrine girl's outfit.

"What's with the outfit?" Josuke asked curiously as she walked past them. Akeno peeked back at him and gave a small serene smile.

"Why, this~? Do you like it?" Akeno said, spinning around to show off the outfit.

"Yes, yes, you look real pretty." Josuke said, waving his hand dismissively. "Now please hurry and take the dumbass fallen angel out of here."

"You're so mean, Josuke-kun~! Are you still mad about yesterday?" Akeno whined softly, though she didn't seem very serious.

"Maybe…" Josuke muttered, whistling to the side. Issei watched the two with a small laugh, a content grin visible on his features. Earlier he might have preferred letting Rias destroy Raynare, but he knew that Josuke probably needed his own closure too. He was happy to see the tall teen was his usual self. Growing up, he had always been the same. This might have been a far more intense situation, but in the end it went as he expected. _It's why I thought **he** was the coolest after all…_

 _Nine years ago…_

 _Issei was always a bit nervous around the other children. They accepted him rather easily, but he was usually quiet even when he was able to play with them. Even though the others tried to include him, Issei never felt very close with any of the kids. They were 'nice', but sometimes they would shun another kid when they felt he was being annoying. Issei wanted to speak up and help, but he also didn't want to be shunned. He felt horrible, like he was some kind of coward. But it was hard to be confident in his own ability._

 _"Hey look, it's the weird kid!" One of the boys whispered, drawing Issei's attention up. He looked to see a rather large boy with an odd hairdo. Issei had seen him several times in the park, usually playing by himself. The other kids teased him quietly, afraid he might hurt them if they messed with him. While in all honesty Issei thought his hairdo was kind of cool, he was still a bit intimidated by his size._

 _"Oh no, he's coming this way!" One of the girls said, going behind one of the monkey bars. The other boys stiffened along with Issei, who quickly tried to busy himself._

 _"Hi." He said simply, waving to the group kindly. "Can I play with you guys?"_

 _"W-we've already got a big group, so we don't have room for another…" One of the boys said, but a girl spoke up next._

 _"And you're a giant! You'll just take up too much room!" She spat, causing the other kids to laugh. Issei frowned at their rejection. Despite being intimidated by the boy, he still felt bad that they treated him like that. But of course, Issei still couldn't speak up._

 _The funny haired boy just glanced around at the other kids with a blank expression before smiling. "Okay, sorry for the trouble!" He said politely before turning around and walking away. Despite the kind demeanor, Issei could tell he was a bit sullen. Issei stared at the ground, feeling a bit ashamed._ Maybe I should have spoke up…

 _"Oh no, look out! It's Mako!" one of the kids suddenly cried out. Issei widened his eyes in fear, looking around in a panic. Mako was one of the bullies of the playground who showed up every now and then to pick on other kids and take over the playground. Issei quickly moved up one of the small castles to avoid the bully, peeking out to see where he was._

 _"Hey! Where are you going?!" Mako called out as the other kids started to run away. He was larger than the other kids save for the boy with the weird hairdo. Unlike him though, he used it to his advantage. Two other boys trailed behind him, his usual support._

 _He grabbed one of the boys, throwing him on the ground. "Hey! I thought I told you guys to stay off this side of the playground! That means when I'm not here too!"_

 _"I-I'm sorry!" The boy cried, tears forming in his eyes. Issei felt helpless, unable to do anything. He may not have been particularly close to the boy, but the brunette hated to watch this go on._

 _"Hey." the group suddenly heard, turning to see the tall boy from earlier glaring at Mako. "Leave him alone."_ I-it's him! He wants to help?

 _"Cr-crap! I didn't realize he was here! We should go, Mako…" one of his boys commented, but Mako wasn't having it._

 _"Don't tell me what to do! This is my park!" The boy growled, taking a step forward. "Just because you're big doesn't mean anything! You're by yourself!"_

 _The funny hairdo boy started to approach the three, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Then go play somewhere else. The park is pretty big."_

 _"This whole park is mine! I'll play where I want!" Mako barked. As the tallest boy approached, the other two behind Mako started to shiver before backing up._

 _"Come on guys! We can take him!" Mako said, looking back at the two. He widened his eyes as they started to run away. Mako immediately paled, glancing back at the tall boy in fear before falling on his butt._

 _"Looks like you're by yourself now." he commented, making the boy cry slightly. Issei couldn't help but be amused by the fact that the park bully was being taken down a peg._

 _"I-I'm sorry, don't hurt me!" He pleaded, tears and snot dripping down his face now._

 _"Yeah, beat him up!" the boy Mako previously bullied called out, standing up now._

 _"Teach him a lesson!" The girl who insulted the tall boy earlier said. He only glanced around as the kids started to gather, Mako starting to cry harder. While Issei thought he was getting what he deserved, he couldn't help but feel a bit of pity. The tall boy stooped over Mako for a moment, his eyes shaded by his large hair. Suddenly, he knelt down and offered a kind smile._

 _"Do you wanna play with me?" He asked kindly, causing Mako to stop and sniffle._

 _"What?!" The other kids cried out. Issei, on the other hand, couldn't help but stare at him in awe. Despite the fact that boy wanted to initially fight him, he was still acting nice?_

 _"G-get away from me!" Mako cried out, pushing himself up and running away. The boy only watched as he left before standing back up straight, glancing at the others around him._

 _"You should beat him up!" the girl said bitterly, turning away from him. "You really are just a big weirdo! Let's go!"_

 _Issei frowned at the poor treatment the tall boy was receiving. He seemed intimidating at first, but now Issei saw him in a new light. He knew he could have beaten up the other kid, but instead he tried to be nice. And his hair was awesome._ That guy… is really **cool**!

 _The tall boy walked away from the other kids quietly, deciding to leave the playground all together. Issei blinked in shock, having wanted to approach him._

 _"Hey, Issei! You gonna join us?" One of the other boys asked. A spring of confidence built up in Issei, and he only glared at him._

 _"No way, you guys are jerks!" He declared, causing the others to gasp in shock. He turned his back to them and left without another word. He ignored the insults and complaints of the other kids, deciding one thing in his mind: He was going to be friends with the tall kid no matter what._

"I hate to interrupt this, but I think we should return to the matter at hand." Rias said, pulling Issei from his thoughts and motioning toward Asia's body. Issei immediately paled, feeling regret once again. The brunette ran quickly over to her body, grabbing her hand.

"Here." Rias offered, holding out Asia's Sacred Gear to Issei. He took them gingerly before slowly placing it back on her fingers and laying her arm back down. Tears immediately started to form back in his eyes, feeling a bit ashamed that he was distracted with Raynare.

"You guys… I'm so sorry. I was talking all big, and even had help from everyone, but still…" Issei mumbled, not bothering to hold back the water in his eyes. "I couldn't save Asia…"

"I should be apologizing." Josuke suddenly spoke, biting his lower lip as attention turned back to him. "I was the one who kept going on about attacking this place and saving her… I'm really not as tough as I thought."

"It's neither of your faults." Rias spoke this time, glancing at them both. "Issei, you lack experience as a devil, and Josuke, you are only human. What you have done so far is beyond what most could do. No one will blame either of you."

"But… but I…" Issei choked out, his tears falling on Asia's cheeks. Rias sighed and reached into her pocket, pulling out a small chess piece.

"It's unheard of to do this with a nun, but it's worth a shot." Rias declared, causing Issei and Josuke to glance at her curiously. "Do you know what this is?"

"A… chess piece?" Issei muttered, raising a brow. Josuke widened his eyes in realization, his spirits rising.

"No way, are you doing what I think?"

"That's right. This is a bishop to be exact." Rias explained, offering a smile as she looked back at Asia. "I will make her my servant."

* * *

Far on the other side of the town of Kuoh, a late night train arrived. It had very few passengers, but one in particular stuck out rather largely. He was tall, standing at six foot four and was extremely muscular and toned. He wore a long white trench coat that reached down to his ankles with a matching pair of pants with two black belts on his waist and a black tee shirt. He wore a white billed hat that with anchors etched in the front next to a gold plated hand. It was somewhat torn in the back, and almost looked like it was fused with his hair. He had a small black string banded bag on his left shoulder, and a picture in his hand.

"Yare yare daze. Looks like I'm finally here." He rumbled, his voice deep and serious, and glancing around the train station. "Now to start looking for the old man's kid."

 **To be continued…**

 **Oh thank God, I finally got the edited chapter out. Boy did it take me a bit to do that lol Thank you Sir Godot for your help!**

 **Oh. My. GOSH. THIS CHAPTER RIGHT HERE… *Sighs* longest chapter I've EVER written in fanfiction. Seriously, longest ever. And to assert that, I am going to say this right now upfront: Do NOT expect more chapters of this length any time soon. Perhaps each time when we get to the climactic end of an arc, but for now expect the usual 6-7 thousand word chapters. This was more than TWICE that size. It took a lot out of me, but I'm really glad I got this out. This is probably my favorite chapter and will most likely be it for a while.**

 **Now I really hope you guys liked the fight between Josuke and Raynare. It took me a bit to think up the details of the fight, but I tried my best to make it as JoJo-esque as possible. I'm going to do my best to make more fights like that, but it will most likely be with other Stand users than with devils and fallen angels.**

 **Also, expect a bit of a reprise from this story. I need to write for some of my other stories that I've been neglecting because of this one. My biggest story, Strawhats Plus Vampire, has been on the backburner for a bit. I need to remedy that. Don't worry though, I plan to come back to this story as soon as I can. I really love writing it, and I love writing Josuke.**

 **Finally, regarding Raynare, I decided to go a bit of a different route. She will reappear back in this series, but not anytime soon. How and why will be my secret for now. Hope you guys don't mind this change.**

 **One more thing, just in case some argue over Josuke sparing Raynare, my reasoning behind this is that the most Josuke has done is merge someone with rock or paper. Sure, that could have been applied here, but because he was not in hair rage mode at the final moment, and because I have plans for Raynare, I had it work out this way.**

 **Alright, that's it for now. Please please PLEASE leave a review and favorite for me. This was a big chapter and I'd like a big response to it on how I handled things. Hope you all enjoyed it!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone! Sorry about the wait, but like I said in the previous chapter, I was going to take a break and focus on some of my other stories. While I was able to get a chapter out for my most popular story, I was very much distracted by the release of the most recent Halo game that took up a lot of my time lol. I was also attempting to make a chapter for another story but then I got real hyped when I received this news: Diamond is Unbreakable has been green lit for its anime. Wooo! So friggin excited for that! In case you guys didn't know, now you do. JoJo part 4 is getting its anime finally :P. Onto the chapter! The Fallen Angels have been dealt with, now it's time to see the purpose of another certain JoJo's visit.**

Chapter 6

"Welcome!" The Occult Research Club cheered as they raised red party cups above their heads. It had been a day since the attack on the fallen angels at the abandoned church. Raynare had been turned over to the Archduke, who Rias had assured would take care of justly. It had looked as though hope had been lost for Asia Argento. Bringing a servant of God back to life through a devil contract would usually prove most difficult. Despite that the blond nun had returned to them and was now Rias' Bishop. With the new member of her peerage, the group decided to throw a party for her, officially welcoming her to the club.

"Th-thank you, everyone. I'm very grateful…" Asia muttered shyly, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment. She was wearing a simple white dress with slippers now instead of her former religious garments.

"You don't have to be so nervous, Asia. You're one of us now." Rias smiled, offering the blond a cup of soda. The former nun took it gingerly, unable to keep from twitching ever so slightly.

"It's really good to have you here, Asia." Issei said this time, offering a kind grin to her. Asia blushed, casting her gaze away from him.

"I hope we can get along as a team from now on, Asia-chan." Yuuto bows politely, his ever handsome smile shining at her.

"Let's get along." Koneko added, bowing briefly before going back to the snacks provided for the party.

"You should fit in great with us, Asia-chan!" Akeno offered from the side, giving a serene smile.

"I-I'll do my best for everyone, I promise!" Asia blurted, bowing heavily. The club chuckled at her earnestness, knowing the former nun would try her best. She rose from her bow and glanced around the group in question.

"What's wrong, Asia?" Issei inquired, seeing her puzzlement.

"I-I was wondering where Josuke-kun was. I wanted to thank him for helping save me as well." Asia admitted, tilting her head in question. "Where is he?"

Issei laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Ah well, you see, Josuke's hair was acting up this morning, so he's been trying to fix it for a while now."

"Ara ara. Josuke-kun does indeed love his hair quite a bit." Akeno giggled.

"Jojo will be here soon." Koneko explained, biting down on a cookie. Issei blinked in question, raising a brow at the petite girl.

"What did you call Josuke?" Issei asked thoughtfully.

"Jojo. When we were fighting the fallen angels, Josuke-kun accidently told us to call him Jojo. He corrected himself, but for some reason Koneko-chan wants to start calling him Jojo." Kiba explained with a sheepish look, Koneko making no comment though.

"Jojo, huh? I kind of like the ring to that…" Akeno muttered, holding her chin in thought as a small smirk appeared at the edge of her mouth.

"I mean, I think Josuke won't mind, but I guess I've never thought of that as a nickname for him." Issei chuckled, though the name sort of sticking in his mind as well now.

* * *

Josuke sneezed loudly as he walked down the sidewalk toward a nearby bus stop. He had finally finished fixing his hair up and was intent on joining the party with everyone else, despite the injuries from the previous day; in fact, they seemed to be all but gone. It wasn't his Stand's work or even Asia's, but more of the fact that he was a fast healer. He never knew why this was, or even questioned it. Sometimes Issei would ask about it, but all he could do is shrug.

"Man, I hope I'm not catchin' a cold…" Josuke muttered, wiping his nose on his sleeve. "But maybe someone's talkin' about me." As he rounded the corner to the next bus stop, Josuke found himself running straight into someone. For the first time since he was little, he actually hit someone taller than him.

"Oh, so sorry sir!" He quickly apologized, clapping his hands together and bowing without getting a good look at the man. It was quiet for a moment before he heard a deep sigh, looking up to inspect the man he ran into.

"It's fine. I didn't see you coming anyway." The man dismissed it, his voice low and serious. Josuke widened his eyes slightly, taking in the figure before him. He had already noticed that the man was taller, but looking at him now he was even larger muscle mass wise. He was sporting a long trench coat like white jacket with matching pants and even a uniform type hat. On the head, it bore a golden anchor emblem, and much to Josuke's wonder, it seemed to merge with his hair, despite both being a different color. He was holding a single leather briefcase, and looked to be in his twenties. Despite this, Josuke couldn't help but feel a slight sense of familiarity in the taller man, almost tempted to ask if he knew him. _Am I trippin or does he kinda look like me?_

"That uniform…" The larger man said, pulling Josuke out of his thoughts. "Do you attend Kuoh Academy?"

"O-oh uh, yes sir, I do." Josuke said, standing at full length now.

"Do you mind telling me how to get there? I'm new to town and I'm a bit lost." He asked, his tone almost grave if not monotone.

"Oh yeah, no problem." Josuke agreed, offering a polite smile. "I'm actually headed there now. Just hop on the next bus that's coming up with me."

"Thanks, I appreciate it." The man nodded, standing next to Josuke now patiently.

"No problem. You got some business at my school, Mr...?" Josuke inquired, decided to strike up a conversation and learn the man's name.

"Kujo. Jotaro Kujo." The man, now identified as Jotaro, answered. "That's right, I do. I'm looking to meet someone." He answered shortly, but Josuke was okay with that. He was always good at keeping conversations going even if someone else couldn't.

"I see. It's nice to meet you, Jotaro-san." Josuke greeted, using the suffix as a sign of respect toward his much older senior. "Maybe I can help. I'm pretty familiar with some people at the school. My name's Josuke Higashikata by the way, pleasure to meet ya."

Jotaro immediately tensed, widening his eyes in surprise as he glanced into Josuke's eyes. "You're Josuke?" He repeated, making the tall pompadour wearing teen blink in surprise.

"Yeah, that's me. You know who I am?" Josuke inquired, pointing at himself. The taller man was silent for a moment before releasing a heavy sigh.

"Yare yare daze. To think I'd meet you by coincidence. Guess luck is on my side." Jotaro suddenly said, causing Josuke to widen his eyes.

"Wait, you were looking for **me**?!" Josuke asked in disbelief, Jotaro nodding in confirmation.

"Josuke Higashikata, age sixteen. Your mom's name is Tomoko, who attended a college in Tokyo at the age of twenty one." Jotaro started to list off, further confusing Josuke, but he didn't stop there. "You've lived in Kuoh your whole life. At the age of six, you were sick for fifty days straight without an apparent reason as to why. You even almost died until you miraculously came out of the sickness." Jotaro stopped for a moment, releasing another sigh, but this time it sounded a bit annoyed. "What the hell am I doing?" He muttered under his breath before looking back up at Josuke. "Finally, your father's name is Joseph Joestar."

Josuke slightly tensed at the mention of his father. He had never asked his mother for his name, and didn't bother thinking about him since he was a little kid. It left him with a strange sense of emotion he didn't quite understand. Hearing his father's name for the first time in his life was odd, but it strangely felt empty. He had erased the thought of a father in his life a long time ago, so as to not hurt his mother. Perhaps detaching from that idea in his mind had rendered him apathetic to the subject at this point.

Jotaro waited a moment, assessing whether or not Josuke would say anything. When the teen made no comment, he decided to continue. "Joseph Joestar, still healthy at the age of seventy nine, was troubled about the inheritance of his Real Estate business. He went looking through his family tree and eventually found you. He didn't even know you existed until recently." Josuke figured that was his mother's doing. She never wanted to cause his father trouble, even to this day. She loved him too much. To Josuke's surprise, Jotaro clicked his tongue in annoyance, casting his gaze away for a moment.

"That old bastard. He liked to act like a saint who only loved his wife his whole life." Jotaro spat slightly, clearly disappointed in Josuke's father. Obviously Jotaro had some kind of history with Joseph, making Josuke wonder exactly what that was. "He was out having fun and ended up having you."

"So… how do you know my old man? Are you two related?" Josuke asked curiously, feeling odd to call Joseph his 'old man'.

"We are. In fact, you're technically my uncle. Strange, isn't it?" Jotaro chuckled dryly, causing Josuke to widen his eyes in surprise again.

"My nephew, seriously? That's…." Josuke muttered, unable to believe that a man ten years older than him was his supposed nephew. Not that it was impossible, it was just weird to say aloud. Jotaro obviously felt the same way about it.

"Well, that aside, you can take a third of all of his possessions." Jotaro stated plainly, causing Josuke to raise a brow. "I came here to tell you this because there's chaos over the entire inheritance now."

"W-wait, chaos?" Josuke repeated, Jotaro pausing in question. "What do you mean?"

Jotaro then smiled in amusement of the thought. "Why wouldn't there be? When my grandma, Suzie Q, found out about the affair, she almost killed him over it." Josuke widened his eyes and without warning bowed low.

"I'm so sorry! It's all my fault! I apologize for all the trouble I've brought to the Joestar family!" Josuke apologized, making Jotaro widen his eyes in shock.

"What's wrong with you? Why would you apologize for any of this?" Jotaro couldn't help but ask, a bead of sweat rolling down his brow.

"I-I'm sorry…" Josuke muttered, putting a hand on his cheek in thought. "I just don't like to see family disputes. It's even worse that it's kinda my fault in a way. My mom loved my old man, so I know that's why she had me, but… I don't wanna cause any more trouble." Josuke explained, sighing before glancing up at Jotaro. "Just tell my da… Joestar-san that we're fine with how things are for me, okay?"

Jotaro stared silently at Josuke for a long moment, never expecting this kind of response when he arrived in Kuoh. _What's with this guy? I came here to take punches for gramps. But he ended up apologizing and rejecting the offer. How did gramps have a kid this modest?_ Moments of silence passed again, until finally Josuke noticed the bus arriving.

"Oh, well, it looks like my ride is here. Is there anything else you need, Jotaro-san?" Josuke asked, unsure where else the conversation could go from there.

"... There is one more thing I'd like to talk to you about." Jotaro admitted, glancing up at the bus. "How far is this school of yours? Is it walking distance? I'd prefer it to be private."

Josuke blinked as he glanced at the bus again, unsure of whether or not to get on. Finally he shrugged, waving the driver off. "Yeah, it is. It's only a ten minute walk. Let me just tell my friends I'll be a bit late." He then pulled out his phone, starting to text a message to Issei. "Alright, let's go."

Jotaro nodded, the two walking side by side. To be honest, Josuke wasn't sure how to feel about the current situation. Apparently this guy was technically his nephew, though he would be more inclined to call him **his** uncle with the age difference. Nonetheless, Josuke couldn't help but feel a bit awkward about the situation.

"Josuke." Jotaro suddenly said, grabbing the teen's attention after a bit of silence. "Is it okay if I call you that?" The teen gave a quick nod in acceptance. "What I'm about to tell you might be a bit confusing, but I think that you need to know. But first I'd like to test something out."

"Uh, sure. What is it?" Josuke muttered, unsure of what he could possibly mean. What happened next caused Josuke to widen his eyes in shock. Above Jotaro appeared a large purple and black being, its body a large mass of muscles. It had long messy black hair on top of its head that seemed to flow on its own in the wind. It also possessed large shoulder pads and black gloves and boots, its waist covered by a loincloth.

"Can you see this?" Jotaro asked, though from Josuke's reaction, he could tell that much.

"No way, you…" Josuke muttered, slowly raising a hand to point at Jotaro.

"I know this might seem odd to you, but this is a-" Jotaro started, but Josuke's next words turned the tables around and threw Jotaro off.

"You have a **Stand** too?!" Josuke exclaimed, causing Jotaro to recoil slightly. It was silent for a moment, the two staring at each other in shared surprise before Jotaro finally dismissed his Stand.

"You… how do you know about Stands?" Jotaro asked carefully, his stoic exterior slightly cracking for a moment. Josuke started to sweat though, unable to give a very good answer to the question. He wasn't sure sharing about Devils and Angels was something he could do so freely. One, some might think he's crazy. Two, even if he was believed, it was probably not something that he can just talk about freely with people he just met, even if they were somehow related by blood.

"I... I'm sorry, but I can't actually tell you about that right now. There are some people I'd have to let know first. I hope you understand." Josuke apologized, bowing in regret again. Jotaro was silent for a moment, making the tall teen afraid he might not accept that answer. Finally, Jotaro gave a nod.

"We just met, so I don't expect you to tell me all of your secrets. Can I at least see your Stand as well?" Jotaro inquired, making Josuke feel half-relieved that he decided not to push.

"Sure, here it is. I named it **Crazy Diamond**." Josuke explained, making his Stand appear behind him. Jotaro raised a brow as he inspected it, holding his chin in thought.

"Interesting. It seems to be very similar to mine, **Star Platinum**. It appears very clearly, so I'm guessing it's really strong." Jotaro observed, looking over Josuke's Stand for a moment. _That's a good name for it. I might have thought of that myself._ Jotaro mused.

"That's amazing. I didn't think I'd meet another Stand user like me so soon. I just discovered what **Crazy Diamond** was recently." Josuke admitted, dismissing his Stand after a moment.

"The reason I'm telling you all of this is because I need to warn you." Jotaro declared, reaching inside of his jacket and pulling out several photos. "Gramps has a Stand too, which he can use to take something called Spirit Photos. When he heard about you, he tried to take a picture of you to see what you look like. But instead, this came up." Jotaro handed the tall teen the photos, letting Josuke take a look. To his surprise, it looked as if a specter of sorts was floating over an unknown house. It almost looked like a ghost, but its face was not human.

"I-is this another Stand?" Josuke asked in shock, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

"We don't know. All we know is that someone dangerous is here in this town." Jotaro said, handing him another photo. "This is Angelo, a sick criminal. Gramps captured a picture of him when he was looking further into the figure above that house. This is the second reason I'm in town, to find this guy and catch him."

As the two were now getting close to the school, Jotaro stopped, turning to walk the other way. "This may not have anything to do with you, but I thought I'd let you know. Be careful, Josuke. This guy is dangerous."

"Hey, wait! But who is this guy?! Is he some sorta big time criminal?" Josuke asked, more questions than answers popping into his head. Jotaro didn't answer for now, deciding to take his leave.

"You could say that. If you end up seeing him somewhere, be careful and don't approach. Just contact me." Jotaro explained as he started to head to a nearby bus stop. "I'm going to be staying in town until I find this guy. I put my cellphone number on one of the pictures. I'll see you around."

Josuke was tempted to call out to him again, still completely filled with questions. He decided to let it go though, capable of seeng that Jotaro was not going to give him any more answers for now. Josuke glanced back down at the photos, narrowing his eyes. _I should let everyone know about this._

* * *

"Ah, Josuke! There you are! Took you long enough." Issei called out, waving to his best friend. Josuke only nodded his hello before walking into the room. Asia quickly hopped from her seat and skipped in front of the tall teen before bowing lowly.

"Thank you for all of your help!" Asia shouted in exasperation, causing Josuke to blink in surprise. "I know you did a lot for me last night. I am very grateful for the role you played."

Josuke stared down at her for a long moment in question before finally letting a goofy grin cross his face. "No problem. That's what friends are for." He pointed out with a small chuckle. Asia slowly looked back up at him, offering a gentle smile of her own.

"You're late, Jojo." Koneko stated calmly, walking up to him with a juice box in hand and straw in her mouth.

"Sorry about that, guys, I ran into-wait, what'd you call me?" Josuke asked, blinking in confusion.

"What might've caused you to be late, Jojo? Issei said you finished fixing your hair earlier." Akeno asked curiously, making Koneko pout slightly.

"That's my nickname for him…" She muttered, narrowing her eyes at Akeno from the side.

"Why are you guys calling me Jojo?" Josuke asked with a sweat drop before realization hit him. "Oh man, is this about me accidentally saying it before?!"

"It would seem so, Jojo-san." Kiba chuckled this time, causing the teen with the pompadour to almost fall over.

"You too, now?!" Josuke cried out in question.

"Sorry, I couldn't get them to stop using it earlier." Issei sighed with a sheepish smile.

"Do you not like the nickname?" Rias asked curiously, an amused smile on her face. Josuke looked up in thought for a moment before shrugging.

"I guess not. It's not that bad anyway." Josuke admitted with a chuckle. "I still prefer Josuke though."

"I'll keep calling you by name, then." Rias giggled, leaning back against her desk.

"Same here. I can't just start calling you something else after all this time." Issei pointed out with a shrug. "So, what took you?"

Josuke's expression became rather serious, his grin falling as he glanced around the room. "I ran into my… half-nephew I guess you could say."

The room became quiet for a moment, confusion falling over the room. Issei blinked in question, being the first one to speak up. "Your nephew? You have siblings?"

"I guess so. But he was older than me. About ten years I think." Josuke explained, crossing his arms. "He arrived in this town to find me to tell me about my dad." The club room widened their eyes, each one looking from one another in question. Issei himself was the most shocked, for he knew that Josuke never wanted to mention his father if it was avoidable. Not that he hated him, but as to not think about him or make his mother sad at the thought. Josuke saw their confused looks and sighed. "Sorry, I guess I haven't told you guys. I don't know my dad, my mom had me in secret without letting him know. Apparently he found out about me recently."

"O-oh, I see. I'm sorry about that." Rias spoke up sympathetically, but Josuke only shrugged.

"Don't worry about it. I haven't wanted to know him for a long time, so I don't sweat it." Josuke admitted. To the side he caught sight of Akeno, her hands gripped slightly in apprehension. He raised a brow, but didn't bother to comment. _Looks like I'm not the only one with these kinda problems._ "He wanted to tell me about inheriting a fortune or something, but I turned him down."

"Wait, **really**?! Since when do you turn down money?!" Issei blurted out in shock. It was true that Josuke was prone to asking Issei or his mom for several bucks every now and then and sometimes would con people he disliked out of several yen.

"Hey now, don't make me sound like some greedy jerk!" Josuke retorted defensively, slightly offended by the remark. "I turned it down because it would have just caused a ton of problems for their family! I don't wanna complicate things for my dad and his family!" Akeno widened her eyes at this, the first to speak up.

"You… don't resent your father?" She asked quietly, but loud enough to grab his attention. Josuke furrowed his brow in question before letting out a sigh.

"Not really. I mean, it's a bummer I didn't get to know him in the past, but it's not like he knew I existed. Besides, it's not like I had a bad childhood. Issei can attest to that." Josuke shrugged with a goofy grin. "I hate seeing family troubles anyway. If I'm taken out of the will, I think things will calm down a bit for them." Akeno was quiet for a moment, almost as if assessing his answer. Josuke wasn't sure what she was thinking, the raven haired devil usually acting quite jovial. To see her act somewhat anxious was a bit interesting for Josuke and Issei. Rias and the rest of her peerage seemed to frown at her sympathetically, all of them aside from Asia most likely knowing her reason for being apprehensive.

Finally, Akeno gave a small smile and a giggle that seemed genuine. "You truly are too kind, aren't you Josuke-kun?" She said, though her features slightly falling as she continued. "I suppose I can't be quite as forgiving as you…" She muttered, glancing down at the floor. Josuke and Issei looked to Rias for answers, but the red haired devil only shook her head.

"Well, it seemed you handled the ordeal quite well, Josuke-kun." Rias said, offering a small smile. "Is that the end of it with your so called nephew?"

Josuke's expression darkened, a small bead of sweat rolling down his cheek. "No, it's not actually. What I have to say next is pretty crazy, though." he let out a long sigh, reaching into his jacket and pulling out the pictures that Jotaro had given him. "My… nephew – man, it's weird to call him that - has a Stand as well."

The club members collectively gasped in shock, each one looking to Rias for answers. The Crimson Queen bit her thumb in thought before nodding. "I suppose that makes sense. Some Stands are inherited through certain bloodlines. Your family must have a very strong bloodline in it."

"Apparently my old man has one too, so I guess that makes sense." Josuke added, showing the pictures to everyone. "But we're not the only ones. He said he didn't know for sure, but Jotaro-san said that he suspects the guy in this picture to be a Stand user as well. I guess he's also a career criminal."

Issei leaned over with the others, getting better a better look at the man in it. Rias, however, was frozen in place. Her gaze was still focused on Josuke, who blinked at her in question. "What's wrong?"

"Your… nephew. What did you say his name was?" Rias asked, her eyes wide as plates almost.

"Hm? Oh, Jotaro. Jotaro Kujo." Rias immediately fell back onto her butt, causing the others to jump to their feet. "Oi, president! What's wrong?!"

"President!" The rest of the peerage called out, moving over to help her up.

"President, are you alright?" Issei asked, quickly rushing to her side. Rias only continued to stare up at Josuke, slightly trembling.

"I can't believe it… for you to come from **that** bloodline… what are the odds of you becoming involved with us?" Rias muttered, a bead of sweat rolling down her cheek.

"I-is it bad that we're related?! What about my bloodline makes it so crazy?!" Josuke asked in confusion, Rias' words doing nothing to help that. Rias was silent for a moment, looking at the ground in contemplation. Suddenly she pushed herself to her feet, glancing back up at Josuke.

"Josuke-kun. Did you say anything about us or devils?" Rias asked, her expression becoming that of all business.

"No, I didn't. I figured that's not something you guys just want me sharing so freely." Josuke declared, causing Rias to nod.

"Of course, thank you for understanding that without being told." Rias nodded before turning her back to him. "But… I feel that it's unnecessary to hide it from him at this point. If you can contact him, tell him to come to the school tomorrow. I would like to meet him, as will Sona once she hears about this." Rias' peerage collectively gasped, all looking at her in shock.

"You're really going to tell this man about us, president?!" Kiba asked in shock. Rias slowly turned her head to regard her knight, nodding slowly.

"At this point, it will come out on its own to him." Rias then turned to Josuke, crossing her arms under her chest. "It seems that running into us was not mere chance or coincidence, Josuke-kun. You don't know this about your family, but your bloodline has been intertwined with the fate of the world itself."

* * *

Far on the other side of Kuoh, a familiar face was currently twisted into that of a sick and lustful grin. He had messy short red hair and pale white skin. He was quite large in both stature and muscle mass. He wore blue jean overalls, a label saying 'Lucky Land Milk' on the chest with a white short sleeved shirt under it. This was Angelo, the same man that Jotaro Kujo was set on catching. Currently, he was pinning a woman against the wall of an alleyway, a knife pressed gently against her throat. She was short but attractive, wearing a knee high orange dress with short brown hair.

"Pl-please…. let me go…" The woman whimpered in fear. Angelo merely shushed her, running the knife gently up her neck to her lips without cutting her.

"Don't try and play innocent with me, you bitch. I saw what you did. Throwin' your cigarettes on the ground like you owned the streets. You need to be taught a lesson…" Angelo growled, licking her cheek and making his victim cry out in disgust. "Now just relax and take what you deserve. I'll have my fun and kill you quick if you do."

"Angelo." A feminine voice called out, causing the criminal to pause. He gazed with his eyes to the side slowly. He grinned as a familiar figure came into view. She was a young woman, looking barely seventeen or eighteen. She was normal in height, standing around five foot seven, and was incredibly curvy. She wore black, skin-tight leggings along with a purple tank top. Silver hair rolled down her shoulders, stopping past her shoulders.

"P-please, help me!" The girl in front of Angelo cried, but was quickly silenced as the large man in front of her put pressure on her neck.

"Hello, my mistress~!" Angelo called out jovially, grinning back at the girl. He pushed off of the wall, though keeping the knife pushed firmly against his victim's neck. "I was just helping myself to a treat! Is there something you need?"

"There is actually, my Knight." The platinum blond spoke, her voice almost music to Angelo's ears. "My network in the Underworld has informed me of another Stand user in town. One that was not made by Nijimura."

Angelo raised a brow in question before nodding. "I see. So do you plan to recruit him? I'm sure it would be an easy task for you to handle."

"Perhaps, but there's a problem: he has apparently allied himself with Rias Gremory. Approaching him may not be so easy." The girl admitted, striding slowly down the alley. "But even so, I would like for you to go and keep an eye on him for me. If I cannot recruit him, he may be a threat to my future plans. I would like to discover the power of his Stand."

"That shouldn't be a problem, mistress!" Angelo cackled, a nearby puddle of water rising into the air. It suddenly wrapped around his neck harmlessly, coiling like a snake. "If you would allow it, perhaps I could attempt to draw out his power?"

The 'mistress' grinned darkly, giving a nod. "You have my permission to do so. But be careful Angelo, we still do not know what he is capable of, so do not directly attack him."

"As you wish, my mistress." Angelo bowed lowly, almost as if to a queen. "When would you like me to start?"

"As soon as possible. At least by tomorrow." The silver haired girl glanced at his victim, whose eyes pleaded with her desperately for help. She only gave a small calm smile before turning around. "You may finish with your treat. But begin once you're done."

"As you wish, my lady." Angelo laughed manically, turning back to the helpless girl in front of him. He ran his tongue across her cheek again, his eyes hiding no amount of lust or murderous intent. "Now where were we?"

 _To be continued…_

 **Wooooo there you go, everyone! The latest chapter! First I have to say once again thank you to Sir Godot for doing the beta-read for me!**

 **I hope you all enjoyed Jotaro's introduction into the story! As some of you readers of DIU can tell, I pulled quite a bit from their first meeting into this story. I did not, however, bring in the fight between Jotaro and Josuke. While it was interesting to see Josuke overpower Jotaro in their fight, it did not seem necessary to put here. I thought I'd start their relationship in a more civil way. Of course, Jotaro is going to see for himself what exactly Josuke is capable of, just not in a direct fight.**

 **This chapter was a bit short in comparison to the others, not including the biggest chapter I wrote before this, but I wanted to start this new arc on a more of a JoJo feel and not directly with how DxD played out. We'll get back on track with that story soon, but it's time for a bit more action instead of fan service lol.**

 **Now I want to be clear on this right now, upfront with all of you. Yes, other popular Stand users will be making appearances in this story, who exactly you will find out later. But I can tell you at least one person I know for a fact I will not be bringing in:**

 **Koichi Hirose.**

 **Now before I get complaints I'll be honest and frank: I do not really like Koichi's character, only because his is one I've seen too many times before. I get that he's a fan favorite, but to me he's just not necessary to the story. You can almost assume that Issei has taken his place, though on a higher level of importance since he's… well, technically the main character, though in this one he and Josuke share the roll lol.**

 **I hope that doesn't discourage anyone, just know I will be bringing plenty of other Stand users in like I have said. Maybe some old ones from even before part 4. Who knows? (I do :P) Anyway! Again, I hope you liked the chapter, please remember to review and favorite for me!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello my dear readers! As I'm sure most of you JoJo fans are now aware of, JoJo part 4 is getting its anime soon! And I was more than pleased when they had released a preview of the anime, showcasing the new art and Josuke himself. I'm unbelievably excited, and must write this chapter while the Hype is Unbreakable :P(Or at least that was the plan until I got hit by writers block for a whole month lol) Onto the chapter! Time for Jotaro to encounter the devils!**

Chapter 7

Issei tapped his foot as he waited for Josuke to get ready in his room. Currently the brunette was sitting in his best friends home, relaxing on the couch in the living room. Issei had been a bit worried about Josuke since the day before, and was showing a bit of his apprehension with fidgeting. The mention of Josuke's father was truly odd news to hear and completely unexpected. While Josuke often said he wasn't interested in finding out about his dad or even meeting him, he felt that the taller teen still might have some of his own issues with the man called Joseph Joestar. Still, it was no use trying to lament on it, Issei knew that.

 _If he wants to talk about it, he will._ Issei reassured himself, releasing a sigh. Sometimes it was hard to get Josuke to open up about how he felt, but that's because the tall teen was a generally open boy. And very little unsettled him. Though Issei felt this might be the exception.

"Oh, Issei. I didn't realize you were here." The brunette heard from behind him, turning to see Josuke's mother Tomoko from the kitchen. She was young for a woman with a teenage son, only in her late thirties now. She was still quite attractive and held herself in a very confident way. She wore a simple green shirt and pants that didn't help to hide the fact that she was so beautiful. "Good morning. Are you waiting for my bone head son again?"

"U-uh yes, ma'am. He said he's almost ready so I shouldn't have to wait for his usual hair trip I think." Issei told her, offering a sheepish smile. Tomoko chuckled in response, nodding in acceptance.

"I see. Well then, I hope you two have a good day at school. Try not to get into trouble with anymore girls, okay?" Tomoko told him as she walked back into the kitchen.

"I'll try not to!" Issei agreed, blushing slightly as he checked her out as Tomoko left. _Damn, Josuke's mom is as hot as ever!_ The brunette quickly shook his head, trying to remove such thoughts. _Bu-but I shouldn't be checking her out I guess… Josuke almost killed me once when he caught me…_

"Freeze!" A stern, elderly voice ordered, Issei immediately holding his hands up in the air as he felt what he thought might be a gun pressed to the side of his head. "Well if it isn't Issei. Hey squirt, I've been gettin' some complaints lately about a pervy brat peepin' in on girls while they're changin'. That wouldn't happen to be you, would it?" The man asked, a certain amount of mischief and amusement in his voice.

"G-geez, gramps! What's with the gun?!" Issei barked in annoyance, lowering his arms and glaring back at the old man. This was Josuke's grandfather, Ryouhei Higashikata. While Josuke no doubt received his looks from the Joestar family, it could almost be said that his size also came from his Higashikata side. Ryouhei, despite his age, was a rather large old man but in decent shape. His features were a bit saggy and wrinkled from his age and his hair gray. He wore a standard police uniform, being an old time cop in Kuoh.

"Oh don't be such a big baby, Issei! The gun's empty!" Ryouhei laughed, slapping his shoulder as he walked past the brunette.

"Do you greet Josuke like that every time you see him?" Issei deadpanned in annoyance, but the elder Higashikata seemed uncaring.

"Only half the time." Josuke called out as he walked down the stairs, giving his grandfather a headshake. "You gonna do that to all my friends?"

"Nah, just Issei. After all he's familiar enough with us." Ryouhei laughed, waving a hand dismissively.

"I don't think I'm comfortable with being **that** familiar…" Issei sighed with a sweat drop as he stood up. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, all set. See ya, gramps. See ya mom." Josuke called out as the two left for school.

"Have a good day at school, boys!" Tomoko called out as they both exited the house.

"So were you able to get a hold of that Jotaro guy?" Issei asked, glancing at Josuke from the side as they walked down the street, both boys deciding to walk to school instead of taking a bus to save some money.

"Yeah, I talked to him. He sounded a bit suspicious of the idea, but he agreed to come to the clubroom after school ends today." Josuke explained, making Issei hum in thought.

"I wonder how he'll react. I still can't believe the president is willing to tell him about everything so quickly…" the brunette mused, holding his chin.

"Well, she did say that my bloodline is some sort of big deal or whatever. I'm guessing they'll explain why that is today." Josuke shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets. The conversation seemed to end with that, a silence falling between the two. While not entirely uncomfortable, Issei's worry was still bugging him and forced him to break the silence.

"So, Josuke… are you alright?" Issei finally asked, making the taller teen blink in question before glancing back at Issei.

"Well, yeah. Of course. Why?" As if the question finally registered, he let out a small 'oh'. "I'm fine, bro. Don't worry about it."

"I know you've said you're not interested in your dad or anything, but you know…. just making sure." Issei explained, Josuke releasing a chuckle in response.

"I appreciate it, but I'm fine. Promise." Josuke reassured him, patting the brunette on the shoulder. He turned forward, his expression falling a bit and becoming a bit more contemplative. "To be honest… I was expecting to feel more out of it. But I guess I just blocked it out too much."

Issei was silent this time, unable to provide words of assistance. It was an odd problem to have, to block something out to the point of feeling nothing when the issue hits you out of nowhere. Issei almost wished he had that kind of mental ability to be honest, wanting to forget a certain fallen angel who had tricked him. But this wasn't about him, it was about Josuke.

"So… have you told your mom?" Issei asked, though knowing the most likely answer. Josuke sighed, shaking his head.

"No, of course not. I may not have a problem with mentioning Joestar-san, but you know that my mom still loves the guy. Bringing him up just makes her cry. I can't stand to see her like that when I can help it." Josuke bit his lip, focusing back forward. "Just do me a favor and don't bring any of this up. Even Jotaro-san, or she'll figure out something's up."

"Yeah, no problem here. Lips are sealed." Issei agreed before looking forward. He took notice of a crowd forming ahead of them next to a line of shops. Josuke and Issei glanced at each other in question before shrugging. They walked forward into the crowd, causing an older man to growl in annoyance.

"Hey, dumbass! Watch where you're steppin', you big oaf!" He barked back at Josuke. Issei wanted to tell the guy to go to hell, but the taller teen merely rubbed his head in apology.

"Sorry about that sir." He said, the man only huffing in annoyance before turning away from Josuke.

"What's going on here? Why's everyone gathered?" Issei asked, trying to get some of bystanders attention.

"Heh heh, apparently some robber is in the shop right now." An older woman cackled a bit, looking a bit crazed. "He's got a lady at knife point. Cops are tryin' to calm it all down, heh heh."

"Everyone, stay back! It's too dangerous!" an officer ordered, raising his arms and shoving the crowd back. The mob slightly persisted on staying, but did not resist as the officer forced them backward. The doors to the grocery store were kicked open, and out came a man holding a woman by her neck, a knife firmly pressed against her back. The woman was crying in fear while two policeman were in front, trying to talk him down.

"Nobody get any closer or I'll kill the bitch!" The man warned with a growl, making the officers keep their distance.

"Put the weapon down now! Let her go!" one of the cops called out, hoping to deter the man from any aggressive action.

"Th-that poor lady! I wish we could help…" Issei growled, glancing at his arm and pondering whether he should unleash his Sacred Gear.

"Don't get too excited, Issei. If you get him startled, he'll kill the girl." Josuke reasoned, placing a hand on Issei's shoulder to calm him down. The brunette wanted to argue that they should help, but saw the logic behind his words and sighed, nodding in agreement.

"Alright, assholes. I want a car." The robber told the cops, glancing around and spotting the one that Josuke and Issei happened to be standing close to. "You two, back off! I want **that** car!"

"J-Josuke, we should get back." Issei told the taller teen.

"Oh, right." Josuke agreed, starting to back away along with the brunette.

"Hey! You with the fucked up hair! I said hurry up and move your ass! You deaf or what?! You want her to die?!"

Immediately Issei froze.

Josuke was standing quite still.

And his hair started to stand up on its own.

"J-Josuke, get ahold of yourself…" Issei muttered, slightly shaking as he realized what was now about to happen. The tall JoJo was as good as deaf to the world around him, only focusing now on the criminal at hand.

"What was that?" Josuke asked, casually striding by the cops who became incredibly alarmed by his actions.

"Get back kid! You'll get that woman killed!" One of the officers shouted to no avail, unable to do much in fear of triggering the robbers anger. The man in question sweated in shock, quite taken off guard by Josuke's sudden action.

"G-get the hell back! Don't come any closer!" He cried out nervously, pressing the knife a little harder into the woman's back.

"Help!" She cried out, afraid for her life above anything else.

"Hey. What did you say about my hair?" Josuke asked, his hands shoved into his pockets casually. The criminal shook in fear, confused and anxious enough to pop a balloon. Finally he gave in, raising the knife.

"Fuck this! I'm gonna kill this bitch!" He declared, getting ready to stab the woman directly in the back.

"Is that right?" Josuke asked, and with unseen power to all save for Issei, **Crazy Diamond** appeared around Josuke and punched right through the woman and the man like a knife through butter, causing Issei to gasp in shock. When the Stand withdrew its arm, the woman and thief were completely healed.

"I-I'm okay? But I thought I was…" The woman mumbled, but her words were drowned out by the screech of shock from the criminal, who while healed now had the indentation of a knife in his gut. Josuke immediately pulled her away from the criminal should he make another move, but he was far too distracted by the knife stuck inside him.

"Wh-wha-uh?! I have a knife stuck in me! How did that happen?!" He cried out in shock, falling to his knees.

"You were angry? Don't kid yourself. I'm the one who's angry." Josuke scoffed, glaring at the man. "Now go find a surgeon to get that out. I heard prison has some good ones."

The man was quiet for a moment as if the shock was now setting in, but his eyes suddenly went crossed and a stream of water poured from his mouth. Josuke and Issei widened their eyes in surprise, watching as the water seemed to take form into a small body with the outlines of eyes sketched across its body. _No way, that's…_

"You're the guy from the picture!" Josuke called out, making the Stand cackle.

"I was only supposed to observe and test, but damn you're strong brat!" The watery figure growled as it slunk across the ground.

"Don't move!" Josuke growled as he used **Crazy Diamond** to lash out and try to strike the being. It merely turned into a puddle of water, the punch doing nothing to phase it as it slipped into the gutter.

"I'll have to see more of that power, brat. I'll be watching you, whenever or wherever you are. You better watch out~!" He cackled before slipping away entirely.

"Damn it!" Josuke cursed as it disappeared before looking back at Issei. "Hey, we need to get a hold of Jotaro-san and the others about-"

"Don't move kid!" One of the cops ordered as they grabbed him from behind. "You're in a lot of trouble!"

"W-wait officer! I'm not-" He called out, doing his best to reason with them despite his previous aggressive act. Issei watched the scene unfold with a sweat drop, unable to do much to help Josuke in his predicament. He let out a sigh and grabbed his phone, dialing Josuke's grandfather up. "Hey, gramps. It's Issei. We might have a problem…"

* * *

Josuke was allowed to be released that same day thanks to his grandfather's intervention, being a veteran officer gave him a lot of leniency. And since the girl was saved and the culprit now in the hospital the police couldn't complain too much. That didn't stop Josuke from receiving an earful from his grandfather and eventually his mother once he got off from school and after the meeting, but it was the price he would have to pay. Thankfully he was allowed to go back to school so that he could finish his business with Jotaro and the Occult Research Club.

It was now the end of the day and Josuke was walking with Issei to the club room.

"Man, my mom's gonna be friggin' steaming when I get home." He grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.

"That's what you get for freaking out in the middle of a hostage situation." Issei taunted, making Josuke tense up.

"But he talked shit about my hair! I wasn't about to let that go without beating his ass!" Josuke argued, making Issei roll his eyes. "Besides, we were able to run into the Stand thanks to that."

"That's a great way to reason away the fact that you almost got arrested I guess." Issei drawled sarcastically, laughing as Josuke stumbled. He wasn't laughing for long as Josuke threw him in a headlock.

"I'll teach you to make fun of me!" He growled as they initiated a small non-serious brawl, pulling at each others face to try and make the other cry out and give up.

"You two seem lively today." They heard Rias from down the hall, causing them to pause in their tussle. The two looked past each other to see the red haired devil leaning against the door of the clubroom, an amused smirk on her features.

"Oh, sorry about that prez." Josuke apologized, standing up straight while keeping Issei in his grip. The brunette struggled in his hold, swinging his arms around childishly. "We just had something happen earlier that was pretty intense and we were sorting it out. It's a good thing Jotaro-san's coming by, 'cause I got something to tell him about the guy in the picture."

"Did you meet him?" Rias asked in fear, concern filling her eyes until Josuke waved off the thought.

"We'll explain when Jotaro-san gets here." Josuke told her as he released Issei. "Is everyone here?"

"I decided that the only ones who will be joining in this meeting are Akeno and myself." Rias declared before releasing a sigh. "At least that was my original plan. But Sona has heard about what's going on and she… insisted on coming."

"Sona-sempai?" Issei repeated, sharing a look with Josuke in question. "Why does she want to be here?"

"You remember that I said that she was more informed about Stands, correct?" Josuke nodded in acknowledgement. "Well, it's much more than that. I'll explain once we meet Jotaro Kujo, but she's sort of a… fan of his."

"'Fan'?" The boys both repeated this time. Rias nodded before turning around and opening the door.

"You'll see. Come on, they're waiting for us." The three walked in to see Akeno speaking with Tsubaki Shinra, the girl Josuke met alongside Sona. Speaking of who, the spectacled girl glanced at Josuke with narrowed eyes, quickly walking up to him and grabbing his jaw.

"H-hey, what gives?!" He asked, but Sona ignored him, turning his face side to side as her eyes inspected him closely. Tsubaki let out a tired breath before walking up behind her King.

"I definitely see it. The height, the face structure, the Stand… I can't believe you've been under our noses this whole time…" Sona mumbled as she released Josuke's face and crossed her arms.

"What was that about?" Josuke asked, rubbing his chin in annoyance.

"President was trying to ensure herself that you are truly from the Joestar bloodline, Higashikata-san." Tsubaki declared passively.

"Ara ara, you're getting more and more popular lately Josuke-kun." Akeno giggled from the side.

"And you're **sure** that it is **the** Jotaro Kujo coming here, correct? Not some random man who may happen to have the same name?" Sona asked rather intensely, making Josuke raise his arms in surrender.

"How the hell am I supposed to know the difference between a guy I just met and some other Jotaro that you know about?! I just know he's technically my nephew and he's got a Stand!" Josuke defended. Sona watched him for a moment before sighing and nodding.

"Forgive my behavior on the matter. If you knew how important this subject was to me, you would understand." Sona explained, but Josuke shrugged dismissively, unoffended by her actions. "Good. Then prepare Josuke Higashikata, for I also wish for you to-"

Sona was interrupted by a knock on the door, causing the group to turn in regard. "I'll get it." Josuke declared, knowing that he would be the only familiar face to Jotaro. Sona seemed to become rather tense and backed away slightly, her face heating up and starting to breath a bit rapidly.

"You must calm down, president." Tsubaki sighed, rubbing her master's shoulder comfortingly.

"Man, she is some kinda fan, ain't she?" Josuke muttered before opening the door. On the other side was none other than Jotaro. "Ah, hello Jotaro-san! Glad you can make it!"

"You made it sound pretty important." Jotaro pointed out, walking inside past the tall teen. Sona hitched her breath in excitement, unable to process words for a moment as she tried to regain her composure. Jotaro took note of this with a raised brow but said nothing, glancing around at the rest of the room. "So what's this about? And who are all of you?"

"Please allow me, Kujo-san." Rias declared, stepping forward and bowing politely. "My name is Rias Gremory. These are my assistants Akeno Himejima and Issei Hyoudou and our friends Sona Sitri and Tsubaki Shinra. It's an incredible honor to meet you in person."

"A-allow us to make your acquaintance!" Sona declared nervously, bowing next to her rather quickly. Josuke and Issei couldn't help but sweat drop, both wondering what her deal was with Jotaro. As impressively tall as he was, it wasn't like he was a celebrity. One of the two might have heard of him by now at least. Especially a guy who stood out like Jotaro.

The veteran Stand user was quiet for a moment, wondering the same as Josuke and Issei before nodding. "Don't mention it. So are you the people that told Josuke about his Stand?"

"That's correct. We informed him of his ability when I witnessed the power first hand. He nearly killed me." Rias declared with a small chuckle, making Josuke sweat drop.

"You didn't have to put it that way…" He mumbled, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Wait, you tried to kill the president?!" Issei gasped, but Rias silenced him with a hand.

"It was a misunderstanding. Now let us get back on track. I'm sure you're quite curious about how we know about Stands, correct?" Rias asked Jotaro, who nodded firmly.

"It was a power my gramps only discovered around fifteen years ago. They've been around longer but not many people knew about them since usually only the user could see it."

Jotaro declared, looking at the redhead with narrowed eyes. "So how is it a couple of kids have that kind of information? Are you all Stand users as well?"

"We are not. We are something far different than what you know, Kujo-san." Rias explained, taking several steps back so that she was in line with Akeno, Sona and Tsubaki. "This is going to come as a shock to you, but we're not human either. I would like for you to keep an open mind to the best of your ability and listen to what we have to say." Jotaro raised a brow at this, a little taken back by the comment of the girls not being human. It was Josuke who spoke up first before he could voice his concern.

"Trust me, it's not gonna be easy to accept it all at once either. I just learned about all this a little over a week ago." Josuke declared, Jotaro glancing at him from the side with a raised brow. He then turned his attention back to Rias and the girls, silent for a moment as if contemplating his answer. Finally he nodded, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Fine. Go ahead."

Rias smiled and nodded, closing her eyes and crossing her arms. "Do you believe in God, Jotaro-san?"

Jotaro raised a brow at this, the question slightly catching him off guard. "I'm not devout, but I believe there's something out there. After everything I've seen, it'd be dumb to think there isn't."

"Good. Because I can assure you that there is a God. And along with him are the Angels and the Devils. This may confuse you a bit, but all those here aside from yourself and Josuke-kun are **devils.** " Rias proclaimed, causing Jotaro to widen his eyes for a moment. Immediately afterwards though, he clicked his tongue and turned away from the students.

"This is ridiculous. If you brought me here just to tell me some ludicrous story, then I'm not interested." He dismissed, causing Josuke to shake his head.

"Jotaro-san, they're telling the truth. It's not a joke or a prank." The tall teen advised, causing the man to pause for a moment and narrow his eyes at Josuke.

"Prove it then." He retorted, looking back at the group of devils. Rias nodded, glancing at Akeno and then Sona, who gave their own nod in confirmation. The girls stepped forward into a wider line before their aura started to shine. Jotaro tensed in caution as soon afterwards each girl spread their bat-like wings from their backs. Issei soon followed after in hopes to make the point further viable. Jotaro glanced from each devil to the next before his eyes landed on Josuke.

"What the hell is going on here?" He asked dangerously, soon after **Star Platinum** appearing by his side. "If these girls are what you say they are, then how am I supposed to trust you all?"

"Th-th-that's **Star Platinum**!" Sona immediately stuttered out in giddiness, causing Jotaro to slightly turn and regard her with a raised brow. "O-one of the most powerful Stands known to devils! With the power to stop time and combat speed exceeding even the speed of light like nothing!" She explained quickly, almost like a comic book nerd who would be seeing their superhero in real life. She nearly fainted from excitement, her Queen Tsubaki quickly going to her side and waving a fan in her face.

"How the hell does she know all that?!" Jotaro asked far more intensely this time, ignoring the fact that Sona had freaked out so oddly.

"Calm down, Jotaro-san! Take it easy!" Josuke attempted to dissuade him, seeing that it wasn't such an easy thing for Jotaro to accept. "But I'd like to know that too! I know our family's supposed to be famous, but how do you know all that, sempai?"

"Please allow me to explain, Kujo-san." Rias said, raising her arms to show that she was not making any aggressive moves, her wings being dismissed along with the others. "In your case, your family is quite famous among Devil's. Sona and myself have heard quite a bit about your adventure over ten years ago to Egypt."

Jotaro visibly became more tense, his Stand never leaving his side. "I'll give you this chance to explain what exactly is going on and why you know about all of that." He warned, dismissing **Star Platinum** for the moment and crossing his arms. His guard was still up and he was ready for anything, but he was at least willing to hear them out.

"I won't get into the specifics of Devils and Angels just yet, for I'd like to just explain our knowledge of your family." Rias explained, feeling better about the fact that Jotaro was not about to try and fight them so suddenly. "In our community, there are certain humans who grab the attention of the Devils. Throughout history it would usually be humans like King Arthur, Joan of Arc or Hua Mulan. These heroes of the past achieved weapons called Sacred Gears, holy weapons bestowed upon them by God. But your family was able to grab the attention of Devils without such things. Even before your own grandfather Joseph Joestar." Jotaro narrowed his eyes in suspicion, but was quiet as he let Rias continue her tale.

"Over one hundred years ago, the man named Dio achieved the powers of a Vampire through the stone mask." Rias declared, a knowing look crossing the JoJo's face for a moment. "It was a much larger deal than you might think to the community of Heaven and Hell. The supernatural was meant to be kept in check in the human world, but Dio's intelligence and ambition was strong, making him a very viable threat of taking over the world at that time. Hamon users were the only ones capable of stopping him from doing so, but he was expanding so quickly it was feared that Heaven may have to directly intervene, breaking certain pacts and rules." Rias then smiled thoughtfully before continuing. "But then came the man named-"

"Jonathan Joestar." Sona suddenly spoke, clearing her throat and pushing the glasses up on her face as she assumed a more professional expression. "I can take over from here, Rias. I do know more about the history of the Joestar's achievements."

"Try not to faint again, then." Rias teased lightly, earning an embarrassed grunt from the bespectacled girl.

"I don't care who explains it, just keep going." Jotaro interrupted, while not totally impatient was still a bit on edge.

"One question, though." Josuke spoke up first, pulling attention to him. "What's Hamon? He didn't have a Stand? Also, Vampires are actually a thing?"

"Please allow us to continue with the story and explain later. I do not wish to waste Jotaro-san's time." Sona said, bowing in apology to the elder JoJo. "As Rias was saying, Dio was stopped by your great great grandfather, Jonathan Joestar, before his empire could expand tremendously. Doing such a feat in the human world was a great achievement for a human without a Sacred Gear."

"You keep mentioning these Sacred Gears given by God. What exactly can they do?" Jotaro asked curiously, his demeanor becoming a bit more relaxed than before.

"There are many Sacred Gears that exist, all with different abilities. Issei here was a human who possessed quite a powerful Sacred Gear of his own." Rias spoke up again, indicating to her pawn.

"H-here, I'll show you." Issei spoke up as confidently as possible, holding up his arm and summoning his **Boosted Gear**. The red gauntlet covered his forearm in a flash of green light, causing Jotaro to raise a brow.

"Interesting. Until now I thought the only powers humans can possess are Stands and Hamon." Jotaro spoke honestly before glancing back at Sona. "Continue. What else is known about my family?"

"Once Jonathan dethroned Dio, he became revered as a hero to the community of Heaven and Hell. Sadly he perished during a trip with his wife shortly after these events. We don't know the exact details of it ourselves for we thought his story might end better for him, but-" Sona began, but Jotaro quickly held up a hand.

"Then here's something for you to know. Dio was on the ship that my great grandfather was on. In fact he was there to take his body for his own. But he didn't have enough strength to get himself out of the boat, so he hid inside a casket at the bottom of the ocean." Jotaro explained, causing Sona and Rias to gasp in shock, looking at one another.

"Th-that does explain why he came back… it has been a mystery to the Devil and Angel community for some time…" Sona declared, holding her chin in thought before glancing at her Queen. "Tsubaki, take note of this new find. I'm sure that it would bode quite well to take note of such news."

"Yes, president." Tsubaki agreed before opening a notebook and quickly penning down the information.

"Back to our story, we move onto your grandfather and… apparently Josuke's own father, Joseph Joestar." Sona said carefully, glancing at Josuke from the side. The tall teen seemed a bit interested himself, though he showed no other emotions to indicate how he felt about it other than that. "Dio had turned into a vampire through the means of the Stone Mask. An item invented by a race of ancient vampires above even the likes of Dio."

"Gramps called them Pillar Men." Jotaro declared, with Sona nodding in acceptance.

"Yes, I do remember hearing them called that during the stories since they were sealed away in pillars. Along with his mother Lisa Lisa and his friend Caesar Zeppeli, the grandson of Jonathan's teacher, Joseph Joestar combatted the Pillar Men." Sona continued, pushing her glasses up. "They planned to become the ultimate lifeforms, something that would pose a challenge to all including even Devils and Angels. But thanks to the efforts of your grandfather they were all defeated. Even after one of them was able to achieve that form. Of course it didn't come without sacrifice, Caesar Zeppeli losing his life as well." Finally Sona sighed before looking up at Jotaro. "Then, fifty years later, your story came along."

"You don't have to tell me about that one. I know all about it." Jotaro interrupted, feeling no need to hear it.

"Aw man, I was gettin' real into it too." Josuke muttered in disappointment.

"I wanna hear about it too." Issei whispered back.

"The important thing to know is that your family has a long line of heroes, which is very rare considering most families have their line disrupted or even sometimes their children stray from the path of their ancestors." Rias spoke up this time. "Of course, we had no idea that Josuke was from your family when we met him. But fate seems to have brought us together. For that reason, we thought that telling you what we are now before later would help save you from any trouble relating to Devils you may run into in the future."

Jotaro was silent for a moment, seeming to contemplate the entire story. Finally he turned his glance toward Josuke in question. "How did you end up meeting these people, Josuke?"

"My friend Issei here was attacked by a Fallen Angel and killed." Josuke declared, shoving his hands in his pocket as the memory made him slightly churn his stomach. "I couldn't save him with my Stand's power, which can fix almost anything including people, but Rias here was able to bring him back to life as a Devil."

Jotaro didn't say anything in answer, glancing back at the girls in question. He wasn't sure what to make of this turn of events honestly. It was a lot to take in and learn at once. He had more questions than answers, but truthfully he wasn't up to stand around asking questions all day. He then turned back to Josuke again. "Then tell me: do you trust these 'Devils'? Can I trust them?"

Josuke was slightly thrown off by the inquiry, a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek. He quickly composed himself and let out a sigh before smiling at Jotaro. "Honestly I was real skeptical of 'em at first. I had no idea what I was dealing with. But as we all started to hang out and fight together, they became my friends. So… yeah, I do trust these guys."

Rias and Akeno smiled in thanks toward Josuke, feeling quite flattered by his words. Sona remained quiet, though looked a little perturbed for whatever reason. Issei patted him on the shoulder with a smile, offering a small chuckle. Jotaro was quiet on the other hand, taking a moment to consider Josuke's words for a moment. He sighed and nodded, his eyes meeting Josuke's again.

"Alright then, Josuke. I'm going to trust you to know what you're doing and that I can at least consider your friends my allies for now." He then turned to Rias and the others with a more serious expression. "I can't say I'm completely accepting of the idea of working with Devils as you call yourselves, or even the idea that you are what you are. But you can see my Stand, so it definitely makes you different than anything I know of. Thank you for telling me all of this. I may not fully trust you yet, but it's a start."

"Of course, we can't expect such things to be so easy to accept. I'm sure most others might have reacted more sensitively to be honest." Rias nodded, allowing a small smile on her features. "Thank you for being patient with us."

"Yeah." Jotaro nodded, turning around to leave. "If that's the last of everything, I'll take my leave then." At this, Sona gasped in fear, quickly reaching out toward Jotaro.

"Pl-please wait, Jotaro-san!" She said, sounding almost desperate. She quickly tried to compose herself and cleared her throat. "I-I have a… request for you."

Jotaro glanced back at Sona from the side with a single raised brow. "What is it?"

Sona slightly withered under his gaze but held strong as she reached into her bag and pulled out a book. She slowly walked up to Jotaro before bowing lowly and holding it out to him. "Please sign my book, Jotaro-san!"

Jotaro visibly widened his eye, wondering what this was about. Josuke and Issei shared a wondrous look at one another while Rias and Akeno chuckled knowingly, Tsubaki letting out a sigh. "What are you talking about?" Jotaro asked, unable to figure out why Sona would want that.

"Y-you see, as we have explained, your family became quite famous among our people, and your story was quite amazing. They even published a book on the details of your adventure. I grew up being… quite a fan of the stories. So to me this would be… quite important. I'm sorry if it's an inconvenience or annoying. But would you please sign my book?" She asked hopefully.

Jotaro was silent again, his hat shading over his eyes and revealing no sign of how he felt about it. Josuke felt a bead of sweat roll down his cheek, hoping that Sona wouldn't get crushed. But thankfully, Jotaro finally reached out and took the book in his hands and looked at the cover. It was rather thick but had a simple cover with a simple title engraved in holographic letters on the front.

 _JoJo's Bizarre Adventure_

The title caused Jotaro to raise a brow. "How did the writer name the title?"

"Well, whether by coincidence or on purpose, each of your famous family members were called Jojo. I'm not sure where he got the word bizarre from but it did become quite catchy…" Sona admitted, glancing up from her bowing position slightly. Jotaro stared at the cover again before giving a rare smirk and opening the cover.

"Yare yare daze. I guess bizarre does fit the description of what happened to us." He admitted with a small single chuckle, signing inside the cover before handing it back to Sona. She handled it with great care, her face flushed from excitement before bowing again.

"Thank you, Jotaro-san! It's greatly appreciated!" Sona said in appreciation. Jotaro let out another short chuckle before turning around and leaving. He stopped in the doorway though and glanced over his shoulder at the group.

"One last question. Because the story is well known, does that mean pretty much everyone knows about my ability to stop time?" He asked curiously, earning a small head shake from Rias.

"It would have been very dangerous for that information to leak out. The ability to stop time, especially at the scale that you and Dio were capable of performing it at, is no small power. Many would seek to try and make either of you reincarnate as a devil servant. With that knowledge, the Maou decided to keep that information only within high family circles. Sona and myself know of it because of our royal blood." Rias answered truthfully. Jotaro was quiet for a moment before sighing.

"At least I haven't had to deal with that before. Thanks, that helps a bit. Later, then." He said before walking out. It was silent in the room for a moment before Josuke released a loud sigh and took a seat on the couch.

"That went better than I thought it might. He scared me there for a minute." Josuke admitted, rubbing the back of his neck in relief.

"No kidding. Your Stand was strong but I can't imagine how strong his was." Issei griped, taking a seat next to him.

"You seemed to have quite the good time, Sona-sama." Akeno giggled into her hand. The bespectacled King seemed to be too busy swooning over the book in her arms to notice her teasing, her glasses fogged up.

"President, are you still planning to insist?" Tsubaki inquired quietly, holding her hand up to whisper to Sona. The shorter haired girl blink as she was pulled from her musings before nodding and wiping her glasses off.

"Since it has been confirmed without a doubt Josuke-kun, I am inclined to no longer evade the question." Sona stated, turning to Josuke and pushing her glasses up on her face before pointing at him. "Now! Become part of my peerage, Josuke Higashikata!"

Silence filled the room after her loud proclamation, and Josuke merely stared at Sona wide eyed.

" **What?!** " Both he and Issei shouted in shock, Rias herself blinking in question before turning on Sona rather quickly.

"Sona! What's this about?! You've never been so bold to ask someone to be in your peerage in such a fashion!" Rias inquired, narrowing her eyes at Sona, but the bespectacled girl merely smirked.

"It's true, usually I would not be so forthwith. But due to recent revelations, Josuke Higashikata has become far too interesting to pass up." Sona declared with a dark smile. "The son of Joseph Joestar, a Stand user and a powerful one to boot. Come, Josuke-kun. There must be something you wish to obtain. In exchange for whatever you might want, you must become part of my peerage!"

"Why do you say it like I'm already agreeing?!" Josuke exclaimed, pointing a finger at Sona. "I don't want anything and I'm not interested!"

"B-but she said anything, Josuke…" Issei stated, tucking on his shirt from the side. His nose was slightly dripping with blood, a dastardly smile on his face. "Yo-you could have anything you want…"

"Oi, don't go gettin' pervy fantasies! It would be my wish anyway!" Josuke growled, shaking him by his collar before turning to Rias. "Pr-president! help me out here!"

"Josuke is right. He is not interested in joining your peerage!" Rias pointed out, a smug smile on her face.

"Yeah!"

"He's going to join my peerage after all!"

"Ye-wait, what?" Josuke stopped short, his eyes turning into plates as he looked at Rias.

"Oh come now, Josuke-kun. It's not like the thought has never crossed my mind. I just wanted to give you time to get used to us." Rias giggled, smiling back at him. "But now that Sona is being so blunt, it wouldn't do me any good to wait, now would it?"

"Ara ara, you're even more popular than I expected." Akeno giggled from the side. Josuke was taken back, glancing from Rias to Sona, both of their eyes turning into that of predators.

"Come now, Rias. Do you really think you have more to offer him than I do?" Sona asked with a confident grin, crossing her arms.

"I think I can make a few good suggestions." Rias declared, crossing her arms as well but under her chest, making her large, ample breasts stick out even more than usual as if to intimidate Sona. Static erupted from the two, clashing together before both looked at Josuke. "So, what's it going to be?" They asked in unison. Josuke looked back and forth between the girls with his eyes before releasing an awkward chuckle.

"Y-you know, I forgot to tell Jotaro-san about seeing that Angelo guy, so uh… I think I'll go and tell him right now…" Josuke trailed off, slowly edging toward the door.

"Why don't you call him so that we can talk about this after?" Rias cooed knowingly, her and Sona edging toward him slightly.

"N-no no, this is somethin' I should tell him in person. So I'll see you girls- **later**!" He quickly said, grabbing the doorknob and swinging the door open and dashing out. Rias and Sona blinked at the speed he took off in, the red head chuckling as she turned back to Sona.

"All teasing aside, Josuke is a good friend of mine. Let's not push him too hard about it." Rias offered, but Sona only shook her head and chuckled.

"Don't try and play me. You think because he's part of your club that you'll have ample time to let him warm up to the idea. But now that he's in my crosshairs, do not expect to win him over so easily." Sona proclaimed before glancing at Tsubaki. "Come, Tsubaki. Let's take our leave. We must plan and gather as much as we can offer if we are to take Josuke Higashikata as part of my peerage."

"Yes, president." Tsubaki complied, grabbing her bags and carrying them out. Sona turned back to Rias and extended her hand.

"May the best Devil win." Rias extended her own and shook Sona's firmly, smiling confidently back at her.

"I plan to."

* * *

Angelo was rather pissed about the turn of events that happened with Josuke. Initially the plan was to try and take him hostage when he went for the car, but events didn't quite play out how he would have liked. In fact it was driving him more insane than usual. He never liked being one up'ed or losing one of his targets. While the girl was bait, he was planning to have more fun with her later.

"That little fucker's Stand is fast and strong. Punched right through the girl and the guy I was controllin'." Angelo explained, now speaking with his King over the phone.

" _Interesting. So he was heartless enough to kill the girl just to get to you? And over an insult against his hair? Sounds like good material for the peerage."_ She cooed in answer with a light giggle, but Angelo steamed from the suggestion.

"No fuckin' way! That brat's soft! He can heal or somethin' like that, 'cause he didn't just punch through me, he healed the chick after he hit us and same with my puppet! Hell, he even left the damn knife in the guy!" Angelo growled, wanting to get his hands on Josuke and rip him apart.

" _Oh, really? Still though, he remains no doubt interesting. I want you to keep an eye on him a little longer. Do not engage this time, just watch."_ She told him, but Angelo only grinded his teeth.

"But mistress, I can't let him get away with that shit! Thinkin' he owns the streets and can just walk up like that! I need to teach that shit a thing or two!" He argued angrily, huffing in frustration. For a moment, the line was silent and he wondered if his master had already left the line. Finally, he heard a light sigh from the other side.

" _Alright then, do as you wish. You may kill him if you get the chance. Since he's supposedly met Rias he most likely knows enough about Devils by now. It's better safe than sorry to eliminate him instead of hoping I can manipulate him into my services._

Angelo's face morphed into a sickly, malicious grin. He started to cackle maniacally and spun on the tip of his toes. "Don't you worry, mistress~! I'll be sure to kill that shit eating boy! He won't be a problem for you!"

" _Good. Then have fun over there, my Knight. Let me know if you need any assistance. But I trust you can handle it well on your own."_ The line cut off from there, making Angelo let out another gurgle of a laugh.

"Don't you worry mistress, it'll be done~!" He repeated to himself. He brought his phone back in front of him, flipping through the apps and looking for one having to do with the weather. "Now let's see if we are lucky enough for a peaceful rainy day…"

 **To be continued…**

 **And~ there's the chapter! I hope you all liked it! It was honestly harder to figure out how to explain all of this stuff to Jotaro than it was to explain things to Josuke. Honestly, he's definitely the JoJo with the hardest to read reaction lol. You don't know if he'll be calm, he'll be violent or a mix of both. I hope the way I displayed the story and the way Jotaro handled it in character as much as possible.**

 **Now about Sona and Rias asking Josuke to be in their peerage, I just want to say that this is not a flag raising for either girls to be in his… whatever I have planned for Josuke. They will not fall for him(I'm still on the fence about who might). In fact I have a fun plan for Sona that I'm hoping people will enjoy, but no further spoilers on that topic :3**

 **Alright, thank you all for reading! Next time it's gonna be brutal! Remember to read/review and favorite!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Neither stories involved belong to me, just the concept of the crossover.**

 **Spoiler warning: I usually don't do this, but because the anime is about to come out, some people may have only followed JoJo through the anime, and so this chapter may spoil the first couple episodes of the season since most of this chapter's content is based off of the first volume of DIU. Proceed with caution, you have been warned.**

Chapter 8

Tomoko Higashikata mulled through her gardening tools in her garage, trying to find everything she needed. It was a bright Saturday morning in Kuoh Town, and so the beautiful mother decided to plant her flowers in the yard. "Where's that shovel?" She grumbled irritably, tossing several items out of the tool box. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the milk man walking towards her doorstep for the weekly drop off, but didn't bother to say anything at first. But as he approached, something on the sidewalk caught her eye and caused Tomoko to speak up. "Hey, watch out! On the ground, there's-"

She was a bit late in her warning, and so the man took a solid step in a pile of dog crap. He tensed for a moment before turning around to look down at his shoe. Tomoko sighed and walked out to meet him, giving a sympathetic look. "So, you hit the jackpot?"

"... Yeah, stepped on gold." He sighed, trying to wipe his shoe on the ground. "Right on target."

"That pisses me off!" Tomoko spits in annoyance, looking around. "That man and his dog! He never cleans up the messes! I swear, next time I see it, I'll put it in a plastic bag and shove it in his pocket!" She sighs before looking at the milk man's shoe. "Need to clean it off?"

"Ah, it's not a big deal. This kind of thing happens all the time." He told her, waving off the idea. "I'll just leave your milk here for you and be off." He told her, setting the case down and turning to his bike before hopping on. "Have a good day!"

"Ah, just a moment, sir." Tomoko called out, causing him to pause. "You're not the usual milk guy, huh?"

Slowly the man turned his head to her, giving a polite smile. While Tomoko was ignorant to his true identity, people in the know would have recognized him as Angelo, the Devil Stand User. "I'm just a temporary work agent. The usual one called in sick is all."

"Ah, I see." Tomoko nodded in understanding, accepting his words. "I'm sorry to bother you with this, but this milk bottle's seal is broken." She pointed out, holding up said bottle. As she spoke, she showed him that the sticker on top was slightly peeled back. Angelo closely inspected it, feigning his innocence rather well.

"Is that right?" He asked, almost as if he didn't see it.

"Yeah, it is." She assured, handing it back to him. "Sorry, but I want another bottle."

Angelo paused for a small moment before offering a smile and holding up another one and taking the broken sealed bottle. "Sorry about that. Here you go."

"Thank you." Tomoko said as she took the bottle before watching him start to pedal. "Are you sure you don't want to wash your shoes off?"

"It's not a big deal, but thank you for the offer. Pleasure doing business with you!" He politely declined as he started to ride off. He watched as Tomoko waved him goodbye before quickly snapping his attention forward. "That fucking bitch!" He growled out in aggravation. He held up the slightly opened milk bottle, his Stand suddenly rising from it and wrapping around his neck. "I have to give it to her, Josuke's mom is really careful. If he had taken a drink of the milk, my Stand **Aqua Necklace** woulda gotten inside his body!" He rounded the corner just a street down from the Higashikata household, bringing his bike to a stop and getting to a point where he could view the house.

"That's an awfully comfy place they live in." He almost spat in disgust, narrowing his eyes with a rather grotesque expression. "Not to mention havin' a sexy mom that makes people jealous. I'll ruin his mind and his life completely!" Angelo growled as his Stand coiled further around his neck. "I hate how that little shit just strolled out of the crowd and ruined my plans. I love killin' fuckers like that." He cackled quietly. In the corner of his eye he caught sight of a short fat man walking his dog on the sidewalk, causing him to coo.

"You have to go again? Geeze." The old man sighed in annoyance as his dog started to sniff around the ground. He took a hefty puff of his cigarette before flicking it away. "You just love takin' your dumps anywhere." He grunted before looking back at his dog. He trembled as he saw Angelo pick up his dog and mercilessly bite a chunk of the dog's nose off. He was rendered speechless for a moment before screaming in fear. " **AAH!** "

Angelo quickly put a stop to that by grabbing the man's throat and choking him slightly. "Uwa-" He tried to scream again, but Angelo cut him off once again by spitting the dog's blood in his mouth directly into his, causing him to choke a bit as Angelo shut his mouth and made him swallow it.

"You're the asshole who doesn't pick up his dog's shit. And tossin' cigarette butts everywhere... You got some balls, mother fucker." Angelo hissed out with a dark crazed look. "You think you own this place?! Huh?!" He growled out, holding the man in the air with one arm. "People like you will be killed by my Stand." He declared darkly. Moments later, the arm of **Aqua Necklace** burst from the man's ear along with large streams of blood that stained the pavement, immediately killing the man. Soon after, the Stand moved across the ground and into a nearby water hose, cackling in Angelo's crazed voice as it moved through the pipes and towards the Higashikata household.

* * *

Josuke stood in front of his living room bathroom as he brushed his hair, while his mother was making a pot of coffee in the other room. Currently he was speaking to Jotaro before planning to leave and join the ORC for the day to hang out. He had missed his chance to speak to him the day before, so he made to update Jotaro now. Issei was planning to meet him there since Josuke's hair was slightly out of control that morning.

 _"So you ran into the Stand yesterday?"_ Jotaro questioned with a small sense of surprise in his voice. _"Why didn't you mention it before?"_

"Sorry about that, Jotaro-san. I kinda forgot since the girls took all that time to explain the whole devil thing to you." Josuke admitted sheepishly, fighting with a stray strand of hair that refused to be combed down into his well kept pompadour.

 _"... I guess that makes sense. It was a lot to take in. I'm still not sure how I feel about all of it."_ Jotaro sighed from the other line. _"But back to the matter at hand, have you seen that guy Angelo around?"_

"Nah, not really." Josuke told him as he brushed through his hair. "I only saw his Stand, never saw the guy himself. Man, I cannot get my hair to cooperate right now…" He mumbled in annoyance.

" _I see. Well, it's a relatively weak Stand, but it can be remotely controlled."_ Jotaro explained, causing the tall teen to pause and listen. _"It's the type of Stand that can enter bodies. I'm coming to your house now. Don't even think about taking a piss or showering yet."_

"Y-you're coming over now?! But I haven't told my mom about you!" Josuke whisper-shouted, causing Jotaro to pause. Josuke let out a sigh before glancing back at his mother through the door. "My mom's really strong, but she still loves my dad. Whenever she thinks about him, she cries, and if she sees you, she'll know that you are connected to him somehow." He declared, watching as Tomoko picked up the pictures of Angelo Josuke had left on the table.

"Hey, Josuke. What're these pictures?" Tomoko asked as she took a sip of coffee from her cup. "Hey, isn't this guy… the milk man? Hey Josuke, you know this guy?" She called out as she lowered the coffee from her mouth. Josuke widened his eyes in fear as he saw something small crawling on her lips. He could make out the small form of **Aqua Necklace** slipping inside of her mouth and disappearing from sight.

 _"Josuke? Josuke, what's wrong?"_ He heard Jotaro question as he had clicked his tongue. He immediately picked up a glass bottle and emptied it into the sink.

"Damn it, it's too late Jotaro-san. I just saw the Stand enter my mom's body." Josuke explained before lowering the phone and walking over to his mother in the kitchen.

 _"Josuke? Josuke, what's your plan?"_ Jotaro questioned, unsure of what was going on. Josuke ignored it, acting casual as he stood in front of his mom.

"Hey, Josuke. Want some coffee?" She asked kindly as she set another cup on the table.

"Yeah. Milk and sugar, please." He told her, Tomoko nodding in acceptance and turning her back to him. As soon as she did so, **Crazy Diamond** took hold of the bottle in his hand. He immediately followed up by punching straight through his mother's chest, causing blood to cover his Stand's hand. Once he felt a good amount of liquid in its hand, it crushed the glass in its grip and quickly pulled back. All of this had occurred faster than Tomoko could even process, her chest healing the instant that **Crazy Diamond** was withdrawn. The glass bottle was also fixed, causing Josuke to turn around and head to the bathroom as the bottle was now filled with water.

"Milk and sugar, right?" Tomoko asked as if nothing had happened, her son glancing back at her and nodding.

"Er, right." He said before raising the phone back to his ear. "Hey, Jotaro-san. I've caught the Stand. What do I do with it?" He asked, watching as **Aqua Necklace** slammed its full physical form into the glass in a vain attempt to escape.

 _"Good work, Josuke."_ Jotaro told him. _"But don't underestimate its power. It can turn into anything from milk to coffee. Angelo is also probably somewhere around your place watching you. He'll most likely do whatever he can to escape the bottle. Watch it carefully until I get there."_

"Got it. I'm gonna let Rias and Issei know that I've got the Stand user too. I'll see you soon." Josuke informed before hanging up and dialing another number on his cellphone. A few moments and rings later, he heard a familiar brunette answer.

 _"Yo, Josuke. You leave yet?"_ Issei asked, making Josuke sigh.

"I haven't yet, I'm waiting for Jotaro-san. I've caught the Stand in my place so he's going to deal with it." Josuke explained, earning a small gasp from his best friend.

 _"I-is everything alright? You get in a fight?"_ He asked in concern.

"No, I caught him before he could do anything. Just let Rias know what's going on. I'll see you later." Josuke told him.

 _"Alright, after I tell her I'll head over to help."_ Issei declared, causing Josuke to pause.

"Hey man, you don't have to-" He started but Issei hung up before he could finish. He released a sigh before smiling. "That jerk."

* * *

It had been around half an hour since Josuke had contacted Jotaro and Issei. While he was on his way and going as fast as possible, Jotaro's hotel was a bit farther from Josuke's house than he would have liked. For Angelo though, it was probably the luckiest break he could have gotten that whole day. He was lying on the ground just outside of the Higashikata household, gripping the ground in frustration as he struggled to move much thanks to the predicament that his Stand was in.

"F-fuck, that damn brat!" Angelo growled in frustration as he clawed the dirt out of the ground. "I have to… I have to get out of that damn bottle! That mother fucker, I'm gonna kill him! Him and his hot mom!" He hissed in anger. "But how… I can't fuckin' give up now! I have to break the damn bottle somehow! I-if I was closer, I coulda use my magic to try but I can't do it from this distance…"

Angelo paused in his plotting as he saw an officer approach the house on a bike. He tensed up in fear as he thought that they might have contacted the police, but knew that wouldn't be the case. Stand users (and mystical beings) were the only people who could see Stands after all. "What the hell's that cop doin' here?" Angelo growled in annoyance before catching full sight of the man's face.

"Working overnights is getting to be too much for an old man like me…" Ryohei Higashikata complained before walking inside Josuke's house. "I'm home!" He called out before entering. Angelo smiled darkly, knowing exactly who he was.

"What a coincidence! It really is that old bastard Ryohei! Makes sense, they share the surname after all…" He cackled darkly. "I remember everything about that old fart! Including his habits! That bastard arrested me when I was twelve. Guess I'll get a bit of payback after all this time~!"

Inside the house, Josuke waited patiently for Jotaro and Issei to arrive. He was flipping channels on the television, keeping a view of the bottle in the corner of his eye. When it suddenly stopped moving around, he decided to take a closer look at it.

"Hey, you still in there?" He asked, knowing the answer. The water didn't make any movements and was perfectly still. "Huh, looks like no one's home." Josuke then smiled before shaking the bottle very roughly, making the Stand appear again and looking rather pained. "Oh good, you're still here." He chuckled before setting the bottle back down on the table. The Stand let out muffled cries, trying to pound on the glass but too weak to even make it budge.

Josuke went back to relaxing in his seat, at least until his grandfather snuck up on him, placing a gun to his head. "Don't move!"

"Gramps, you can't just pull that trick twice in a row!" Josuke complained, making Ryohei roll his eyes.

"Oh fine, you big baby. I hope you didn't wet your pants over it." The elder Higashikata laughed, pulling the unloaded gun away from his head. "How was school yesterday? You're lucky I was able to get you to still go after the stunt you pulled."

"Uh, it was fine." Josuke told him with a shrug, not wanting to think about his freak out the day before. "Hey, someone's coming to pick me up so you know. So put that thing away, will you?"

"Fine, fine." Ryohei waved off as he was about to head to the kitchen. He stopped in the doorway as the news came on, hearing the anchorman speak about the mysterious deaths in Kuoh.

 _"This is a special report: The police have found the seventh victim who died mysteriously, trauma caused in the mouth and ears of the head along with heavy internal damage. Police suspect foul play as this is the seventh victim to suffer from such a death and are looking into the case. But with little evidence to work with, they believe it may be a new disease or virus that could be causing it."_ The reporter announced, causing Ryohei to narrow his eyes and become quite serious.

"Seventh victim, huh?" Josuke voiced suspiciously, glancing back at the still water knowingly.

"Seems like a killer has come to our town and hid himself away." Ryohei commented, his expression hardened. Josuke had seen this look many times before, and felt quite proud to have a grandfather like him. He may have been a beat cop but he did everything in his power to protect Kuoh from crime.

Josuke was pulled from his musings when he heard a car pulling up to the front yard, making him stand up from the couch. "Looks like he's here. I wonder where Issei's at?" He mused but shrugged before walking over to the window. Outside of the house, Angelo laughed as he could see Josuke removing his attention from the bottle, starting to solidify the water a bit to make a small insignia.

"I know **all** about you, Ryohei! I know that when you work overnights, you take some time to relax by having some brandy!" Angelo cackled darkly before finishing his Stand's work and placing several letters and the symbol across the bottle, making it look strikingly like an actual bottle of alcohol.

Josuke walked up to the window and slid it open, leaning out to talk to Jotaro who was sitting in a convertible. "Hey Jotaro-san."

"Hey. Go ahead and grab the bottle. Find a place to come out where no one can see you and-" Jotaro started until he saw a certain brunette in the distance start to pedal up the sidewalk on a bike. Josuke chuckled, smirking in amusement as he watched Issei arrive.

"O-oh good, I made it just in time…" Issei huffed, catching his breath. "S-so you got the guy?"

"His Stand at least. It's inside." Josuke told them before turning to go and grab the bottle containing the Stand. A thud in his living room caused him to pause, widening his eyes as he spotted the bottle on the coffee table, the top open and slightly spilled over and empty. On the ground behind the table, he could see an arm sticking out from behind it, causing Josuke to hitch his breath. He took several steps forward in fear, biting his bottom lip as he tried to get a good look. Immediately he recognized the man on the ground: his grandfather, Ryohei Higashikata.

"Gra-grandpa!" Josuke called out in shock, getting ready to move forward but stomping when a puddle of water started to form up next to Ryohei's body into **Aqua Necklace**.

"Hehehe...hehehahahahaha!" Angelo sneered through his Stand, pointing at Josuke tauntingly. "It's all your fault, Josuke! You took your eye off the bottle and your gramps paid for it~!" He laughed darkly, watching as Josuke approached with a red hot fury in his eyes. "Seeing you act so desperate is so~ satisfying! Haha~!" He cackled out.

Josuke didn't say or make a noise in response, his eyes only glimmering with pain and anger before **Crazy Diamond** appeared before him. **DORARARARARAAA~!** It roared, punching faster than light at the water based Stand. Angelo couldn't even respond in time to do anything, but was unharmed as the water splashed against the wall harmlessly. It reformed into its physical form, narrowing its eyes at Josuke.

"S-so fast and strong… you got some balls!" He spat in annoyance, angered that he didn't get to see Josuke cry or become desperate. "I'll be comin' back for you, so don't blink!" He growled before soaking into the ground and moving out of harm's way to escape the house. Josuke didn't linger, quickly jumping to his grandfather's side.

"Sh-shit, he's hurt pretty bad…" Josuke muttered fearfully, trying to hide it with a fake grin as he sweated. Issei and Jotaro came barging in behind him, but he paid them no mind.

"We heard loud noises outside! Is everything all-" Issei started before feeling his heart stop. "G-gramps?"

"Grandpa opened the bottle…" Josuke explained to them but tried to give a confident smile. "It-it's cool though. These wounds are nothing. I'll heal him with my Stand." Josuke pointed out, summoning **Crazy Diamond** and using its hand to heal over his head. "Done!" He declared, dismissing the Stand. Ryohei's wounds appeared to be healed, but he remained silent and cold, not breathing.

"H-hey, why isn't it working?" Josuke asked quietly, slightly shaking his grandpa's shoulder in fear. "Come on, grandpa. I know you're probably tired from work all night, but I-"

"Josuke." Issei spoke quietly, gripping his shoulder. Josuke turned to him in panic.

"But he's heal-" He stopped speaking as he stared at his friend. In that instant, he knew what was going on. Just like Issei, he had been too late. His grandfather was gone, and there was nothing he could do to bring him back. Issei gave a sad frown, kneeling down next to him to look over his friend's grandfather.

"Josuke." Jotaro spoke up, causing the two to glance at him sideways. "The human race is made to destroy other things. Your power is the most kind and gentle one that exists in the world. But-"

"I know, Jotaro-san, it's okay…" Josuke cut him off quietly, well aware of his power's limits by now and gripping his hand. "... He's been a street cop for over thirty five years. It's not the best job in the world, but he always protected the people of this town every day." He looked back up at Issei and Jotaro, his eyes becoming hard. "When he heard about the murders on T.V., he immediately turned into a hunter."

"Yeah, I always thought he was cool like that." Issei said, his eyes misty as he glanced at Ryohei's still form. "This city's gonna be a little darker without him…"

"There's no telling how many people have died at the hands of Angelo. He does this as a hobby. He'll keep doing this, and his next targets will be you and your mother." Jotaro declared plainly. Josuke was quiet for a moment before standing up slowly, his legs trembling for a little before rising firm and strong.

"I will protect this town and my mom." Josuke proclaimed firmly, gripping his hand in front of him. "No matter what happens, I'll do it for my grandpa."

* * *

Josuke stood close to his mother as she cried into his shoulder, keeping a tight grip on his shirt. It had been several days since his grandfather's death, thankfully without incident, and so his funeral was being held. Josuke had opted to take the week off from school and had only seen Issei the whole time, who had been given permission from Rias to support his friend after school. At the moment they were at Ryohei's memorial service, listening to a speech of remembrance and honor from his police captain and receiving a three-volley salute for his long but strong time in the line of duty. Jotaro would have attended, but because of his mother's state, Josuke requested that he held off.

Josuke was silent for the most part in the past few days, especially now at the funeral. He had mostly been comforting his mother. Issei was becoming increasingly worried about him, knowing this was far different than when he had died. With Issei and even Asia, they had both come back to life thanks to Rias. But now, there was no bringing Ryohei back. Issei considered asking Rias if there was something she could do, but Josuke had put a stop to that. The brunette hadn't even mentioned it, but he had told Issei straight out not to ask her about it.

He had wondered for a time why this was, but he had then realized that Josuke just didn't want to be disappointed. For one, Rias would have to bring him back as a servant for it to work, and Ryohei would have to accept it in his heart after death. But knowing Ryohei, Issei knew that Josuke's grandfather wouldn't accept such an idea even if Rias was willing to try. Not to mention it would take another one of her pieces which she would most likely be against.

"I-I'm going to go talk to some of daddy's co-workers, okay Josuke?" Tomoko told her son, pushing off of his chest after the final eulogy was over.

"Will you be okay? Want me to go with you?" Josuke asked quietly, but his mother shook her head.

"I can manage, Josuke. Go and talk to your friends." She told him before walking off. Josuke was quiet before turning around to see Issei, who was dressed up in a suit. To his surprise, behind him were Rias and the entire club. Rias was dressed in a black dress along with the girls of her peerage, and Yuuto wore a suit similar to Issei. His friends all gave sympathetic looks but tried to smile for Josuke.

"Guys? What are you-" Josuke began to question before Rias stepped up, quickly hugging him tight and silencing him.

"I'm so sorry that this happened, Josuke-kun." She told him, hoping that she could comfort the tall teen. Josuke was silent for a moment before returning the hug, seemingly accepting the comfort.

"Yeah, me too." He mumbled, his gaze still downcast. Rias broke the hug slowly and allowed for her peerage to approach. Surprisingly Koneko stepped up to him before the others.

"I'm sorry, Jojo." She said quietly before giving him a hug. She broke off after a moment, Josuke showing his appreciation with a small smile. Next was Akeno, whose usual seductive smile was replaced with a sympathetic frown.

"You know that if you need anything, you can come to us." She stated kindly before leaning in and hugging Josuke as well. The tall teen could only nod but nonetheless accepted her gesture.

"May God-ow!-guide his soul to heaven." Asia offered, her eyes slightly misted before hugging the tall teen next. Josuke let out a soft, almost sad chuckle as he returned Asia's embrace, thankful for her words.

Kiba walked up and placed a hand on Josuke's shoulder, gripping it firmly. "Akeno-chan is right. Remember that we're here for you no matter what." Kiba reassured, hoping that the tall teen might heed his words. Josuke looked around at his friends before offering a smile he was unable to give for the past few days, showing his appreciation.

"Thank you, everyone. It means a lot to me." He told them, his eyes still heavy and crestfallen before it dropped again. "The man who did this, Angelo, is going to come again. And I'm going to be ready for him. If you guys could help me find out where he might be hiding at, I'd appreciate it."

"Whatever you need. We'll do what we can." Rias nodded sternly. Josuke gave a nod back before turning around.

"I'm gonna check on my mom real quick. Thanks again for showing up, it means a lot to me." Josuke told them before walking off. Rias sighed before glancing at Issei.

"How has he been this whole time?" She asked, receiving a frown from him in response.

"He hasn't cried the entire time. Josuke's the type to wear his emotions on his sleeve, but he hasn't really shown much the past few days." Issei admitted, watching as Josuke talked to his mother. "He's saving all of his emotions, bottling them up inside."

"Why?" Asia asked curiously, though the rest of the group knew the answer. Issei gave a more focused look and narrowed his eyes.

"He's saving them up for when he finally beats that monster down."

* * *

Another few days had passed since the funeral. There were still police uniforms hanging in the closet. Even further inside, there were still shirts, shoes, pants and socks collected by Ryohei Higashikata over the years. All placed neatly where they belonged. Josuke believed they should be cleaned out of the house, their remnants only serving as a reminder of what they had lost. His mother disagreed, thinking that they were part of the memory of her father. But nobody would be using any of it anymore…

Rias and her connections couldn't find Angelo anywhere in the city. He had hid himself quite well, though Jotaro suspected that he wasn't far away. Josuke had convinced his mother to spend some time in a hotel while he stayed at home, awaiting Angelo's attack. Jotaro and Issei had remained by his side, hoping to be as ready as possible for when the Stand made another assault. The elder Stand user popped open a bottle of water and observed it closely as he poured it into a cup, being cautious about what he drank.

"Everything you drink has to come from a freshly opened bottle. Anything else is too risky to leave to chance." Jotaro told them, offering a bottle to Issei. Josuke was silent, sitting there seemingly staring out into space. Jotaro and Issei watched him from the side but made no comment before Jotaro turned to the young Devil. "I know that you want to help, but it's still most likely best if you leave. I have no idea what his Stand could do to your kind."

"You're risking your life just the same as me here. I'm not leaving, I wanna help." Issei argued, giving a stern gaze. Jotaro was silent for a moment before nodding.

"If that's what you want." He agreed, deciding there was no point in trying to argue. Who knew, after all, perhaps a Devil might be more useful in a fight against a Stand than he knew. "Still, we need to be careful." A strand of hair suddenly popped up on top of Josuke's head, his power seemingly going a bit out of control. Jotaro didn't notice at first while Issei could only sweat as he watched from the side. "Until we defeat Angelo, we have to be on guard at all times." Jotaro finished, barely noticing as Josuke's hair stood up all together. He quickly turned to Josuke in surprise, but the younger Stand user quickly fixed his hair with a comb.

"Sorry. It's not that I'm impatient, but… I've got a lot of heat in my head. I'm fine." Josuke tried to reason away.

"I don't know about that…" Issei trailed off, glancing past Josuke. On the tall teen's right side, almost everything from the clock to the shelves had been twisted and morphed into unrecognizable objects.

"It's not my stuff, so I don't have a right to interfere." Jotaro slowly stated before holding his chin. "But about your healing power. Is there anything I should know?" He asked, wanting to know all their weaknesses.

"Hm… yeah. I can't heal myself." Josuke stated simply, leaning on one arm.

"You can't? What happens if he gets inside your body then?" Jotaro asked, sounding a bit less sure now that he realized Josuke was more open to attack than he had originally thought. Josuke held his chin in thought before shrugging.

"Then I lose. If Angelo gets inside me, then I don't have a choice but to die." Josuke admitted, making Issei gulp.

"M-maybe we could ask Asia to come here? She could heal you if anything happens." Issei suggested hopefully, but Josuke shook his head.

"She can't fight or defend herself. We'd just be putting Asia in harm's way." Josuke dismissed, making Issei sigh. Jotaro watched the two for a moment quietly before turning to the window and glancing out at the sky. Dark clouds blocked any sunlight from shining through, and it would most likely rain.

"Anyways, it seems the only way we'll beat this thing is by catching it." Jotaro told them, causing the teens to return their gazes to him. "Attacking it won't do anything. We have no idea where the wielder is even if he is close by. If he attacks but escapes again, we may lose him forever." Josuke gripped his hand at the idea, the thought of the killer escaping only further aggravating him.

Outside the home, not even a street away, Angelo spied into the house with a pair of binoculars, chewing on a cheeseburger. He was camped out in a tree, hiding in plain sight almost. No one would have thought that he'd be so close for so long, which Angelo took advantage of. "More bottles? They think they can catch me again?" He grunted through the food of his mouth. "Fat chance! I know your abilities, you ain't catchin' me again!"

He stopped mid-rant as his phone rang, making him set his food down and picking it up. "Hello~, mistress. Did you need something?" He asked with a maniacal smile.

 _"You've been gone for quite some time, my Knight. I thought you would be finished by now taking care of the boy."_ Angelo's master stated, sounding a bit impatient though with a rather amused tone.

"Don't worry, mistress! I'm almost done here! I've just been waitin' for the perfect-" He stopped for a moment when he felt a small rain drop hit his head. He grinned far more sinisterly, looking back at the house. "Chance. Don't worry, I'm just about to finish everything off~!"

 _"Good. If you can be quick about it, I might reward you when you come back."_ She told him before hanging up, making the Stand user cackle lustfully. "Don't worry, mistress. It's about to be all over~!"

Jotaro walked into the yard, glancing around the house. On the ground, he spotted a pattern of footprints, making him narrow his eyes and kneel down to inspect them. "Looks like he's been here. Must've come when we weren't home." Jotaro hummed, glancing around with little hope of spotting Angelo. "But what's taking him so long to attack? It's been a few days already." Jotaro wondered aloud. It was then that he started to feel raindrops hit his hat, causing him to look at the sky.

"It's raining…" He mumbled, holding his hand out. Instantly his eyes widened as he realized the implications of this fact while the rain came down harder and harder. "It can't be…" He mumbled. From the water on top of his head, **Aqua Necklace** started to form. It instantly went for Jotaro's mouth and grabbed his cheek as it prepared to crawl inside, but the veteran Stand user was able to react just in time.

 **ORA~! Star Platinum** roared as it launched a punch at the smaller Stand, knocking it harmlessly against the wall of the house.

"Hahaha~! Excellent! I was wondering what a stranger was doing here!" Angelo cackled through his Stand, pointing at Jotaro. "So you're a Stand user as well. I'm guessin' that other brat inside's got some kinda Stand power too! But it doesn't matter now! This house is mine now. With the rain out, you're all as good as dead!" He laughed boisterously before forming into a stream of water and slipping inside the house. Jotaro felt his cheek spew a bit of blood, the spot where Angelo's Stand had touched his face clearly wounded.

Inside the house, Josuke and Issei blinked as they heard several pots whistling and boiling on the stove and the sink's water running. "Issei, did you turn all of this on?" Josuke asked with a raised brow, but the brunette shook his head furiously.

"Who would be dumb enough to turn on any of this with that Stand running around?" Issei declared, glancing back at the stove. Jotaro burst inside the kitchen, causing Issei to turn to him in shock.

"Josuke, Issei! Get away from the water! Angelo wasn't waiting for you to drink something. He was waiting for it to rain!" He declared, causing Josuke to look back at him and raise a brow. As soon as he did though, the steam rising started to form above Josuke's head into **Aqua Necklace** , making Jotaro's eyes widen. "Josuke, above you! He's in steam form!" He warned, causing Issei to quickly turn back and gasp.

"Josuke, watch out!" He called out. Josuke didn't bother looking back, the steam starting to flow into his ears and mouth. Instead, he used **Crazy Diamond** to grab another glass bottle, shattering it in his hands before attacking the steam. **DORARARA!** It cried out fiercely, reforming the bottle in the air. Sadly it was to no avail, the steam only harmlessly floating away from his Stand.

"Damn it, didn't work." Josuke relented, clicking his tongue. "Can't catch him in a bottle like that."

"Get away from the steam. We have to get out of the kitchen." Jotaro told them but Issei hesitated in the doorway. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know if going anywhere else in here is better…" Issei mumbled, pointing into the living room. "There are leaks everywhere!" Issei pointed out, making the two JoJos pause in shock as they looked up at the ceiling, water leaking down from it rather hard in the cracks.

"Shit, Angelo must have been digging around in the roof this whole time!" Josuke ground his teeth in irritation. "The other rooms are probably the same! We can't escape!" Steam started to follow the three of them out of the kitchen, causing Jotaro to take the lead.

"Either way, we can't let that steam get near us. Let's move!" He told them, running up the stairs with Issei and Josuke not far behind.

"I-it's weird that this Stand is so weak but actually has us on the run!" Issei admitted aloud, sweating in fear as they moved.

"Certain Stands may not be strong, but the right user can make them bypass their weaknesses in other ways." Jotaro explained as they were now in the upstairs hall. The three soon stopped as steam flowed out of the bathroom, literally trapping them.

"What the hell?! Up here too?!" Issei complained as he looked around for some way out. "I can't even use my **Boosted Gear** to do anything!"

"This Angelo's a lot smarter than I gave him credit for. Even if he is insane…" Jotaro commented as he tried to go over their options in his head. He was pulled from his planning when he and Issei heard Josuke start to laugh, sounding a little strained but nonetheless laughing. "What are you laughing about at a time like this?!"

"A-are you okay, Josuke? You're not losin' it on us, right?" Issei asked, a little fearful for his friend's mental state. Josuke only offered the two a rather dark grin in anticipation despite the sweat of fear going down his brow.

"It's just that this is **great**. My grandpa's killer is so close, and I'll be able to get revenge for him **real** soon." Josuke declared, causing Issei to gulp. This truly was worse than when he had died. It seemed that he was now unhinged, willing to do whatever he wished to get his revenge.

"That's nice and all, but we need to focus on escaping first." Jotaro reminded them, focusing their attention on the growing problem at hand: the steam was steadily creeping closer to them. "He can control his Stand's malleable form so well, it's unbelievable. Either of you have any thoughts on how to get out? The best I can see us do is trying to cut through." Jotaro asked, glancing back at them while keeping a sideways eye on the advancing clouds. Josuke looked at the wall before nodding at the two.

"My strategy's a bit different. I prefer to 'break' my way through instead of 'cut'." Josuke told them before summoning his Stand. **DORA!** It roared as it busted down a nearby wall and creating a large hole. Josuke quickly jumped through, looking back at them. "Come on! The wall's gonna reform!"

Jotaro and Issei didn't hesitate, quickly following him inside before **Crazy Diamond** repaired the wall and cut off the steam clouds. "This will at least buy us some-" Josuke started as he looked further into the room. He immediately hitched his breath as steaming machine blew a cloud directly into his face.

"He had a heating machine in here too?!" Jotaro proclaimed as the steam started to form around the tall teen and slip inside his mouth.

" **Josuke!** " Jotaro and Issei cried out in fear, watching as Aqua Necklace cackled as it slipped inside of Josuke's mouth.

"I've won! I knew you'd destroy the wall to escape the steam!" Angelo laughed cockily, continuing to slither further down. "Horse races, exams, all that shit! I'm always right! I'm feelin' **real** lucky! I'm gonna enjoy rippin' you inside out!" He disappeared further into Josuke's mouth, making him gag and fall to his knees.

"It's over…" Jotaro mumbled, sweating in fear as he stood helpless.

"J-Josuke! Y-you gotta be okay! C-come on!" Issei teared up, knealing down next to his best friend. He was utterly helpless, unable to heal or stop the Stand from killing Josuke. All he could do was watch as the tall teen was basically dying in front of him. But hope was not lost, for Josuke started to cough something up.

"Y-you're wrong, Angelo…" Josuke grunted, having trouble speaking. Jotaro and Issei widened their eyes as they watch Josuke glow with the power of his own Stand. "Even if you can guess what I do, you're still wrong." He declared as his Stand appeared above him. Immediately Josuke finally choked out what looked like a rubber glove, grabbing it with **Crazy Diamond**.

"Guwaaa~!" Angelo cried out through his Stand, stuck inside the glove and unable to escape.

"C-caught him." Josuke smirked, holding the glove up in front of him.

"Josuke! You bastard!" Issei cried out, smiling happily as a couple tears escaped his eyes. "You scared the shit outta me!"

"Sorry for worrying you guys." Josuke apologized, catching his breath a bit after all the choking. "I swallowed the glove earlier in case he was able to get in." He walked up to the window and opened it wide, looking out to see if he could spot Angelo as he did this:

 **DORARARARA~!** His Stand growled as it shook the glove rather violently. In his tree, Angelo found himself thrown back and forth in the air like he was being swished around before flying up into the air at high speeds.

"Uwaaa~!" He cried out in pain as he fell to the ground and landed rather harshly.

"So he's been watching us from right there, huh?" Jotaro mused with narrowed eyes. Issei jumped out of the window and grinned.

"Let's go say hello!" He told them, running forward. Josuke smirked and followed him out, knowing there was no escaping for Angelo now and content with taking his time.

"Shit, shit! I can't believe he caught me…" Angelo mumbled to himself, trying to push up to his feet. He stopped for a moment when he felt a presence behind him, looking to see Josuke, Issei and Jotaro already looming over him.

"D-damn it!" He cried out, jumping up and attempting to run away. Josuke merely held the glove containing the Stand up before thrashing it back and forth. Angelo immediately flew up in the air before violently hitting the ground.

"You must be Angelo." Josuke said, walking up to him with his hands in his pockets, Jotaro and Issei following shortly after him. The serial killer started to laugh, though with an obvious fearful edge to it as he pointed at Josuke.

"H-hey, you… you don't think you're gonna kill me, do you?" Angelo asked, still laughing rather darkly. "E-even if I'm the worst criminal in Japan, only the law has the right to prosecute and find me guilty! You guys can't judge me!" He started to laugh confidently, looking Josuke dead in the eyes, who looked on almost bored as he spoke. "Josuke! Just because I killed your grandpa, doesn't mean you can just kill me! If you do, you'll be just like -" His rant was cut short when **Crazy Diamond** punched Angelo's pointed finger, breaking it like a twig before smashing it into a rock behind Angelo.

"Don't you know it's rude to point?" Josuke asked, staring down at him apathetically as the criminal shook, looking at his hand. It had now fused with the rock, looking unrecognizable and completely morphed.

"Wh-what the hell?! What did you do to my hand?! It's part of the fuckin' rock now!" Angelo cried out in shock, unable to make sense of what just happened to him.

"Nobody's going to kill you. Not us or even the Japanese government." Josuke declared, causing Issei to raise a brow. Jotaro seemed to understand though, tilting the brim of his hat down.

"Josuke, he's all yours." He told the tall teen, crossing his arms patiently. Angelo shivered in fear, trying to crawl back from him but running into the boulder that sat behind him.

"Wh-what are you gonna do? Huh?!" Angelo cried out, holding his normal hand up in surrender.

"Not too long ago, I found out I'm no good at killin' people." Josuke admitted, Jotaro raising a brow in question while Issei gave a more understanding look. "So at first I had no idea what I was gonna do once I found you. But I eventually figured it out. So you should be happy. Because you're gonna live on forever. We'll be seein' you forever, living as a memorial to those you've killed along with my grandpa."

" **N-n-no!** " Angelo cried out before he was punched at speeds he couldn't even process. **DORARARARARARARARAAAA~! Crazy Diamond** roared as it laid into Angelo mercilessly, smashing him into the rock. As soon as the rock shattered, it reformed into Angelo's body and quite literally fused with the murderer.

"And done. You and the stone are now one." Josuke smirked, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Now you can live forever in this town."

"Man, you really got creative with how to avoid killing people, huh?" Issei whistled with a chuckle, proud to see that his best friend was able to handle the situation without killing Angelo. Although for many people this was probably a fate worse than death. Jotaro let out a grunt, walking up to the mess of a former human being.

"Since you can still talk, I've got a couple questions to ask." Jotro declared, pulling attention to himself from the boys. "Like how did you become a Stand user?" He asked, causing both boys to raise a brow in question.

"F-fuck! Why you wanna know about that?" Angelo griped, glancing down at the glove containing his Stand. If I can buy some time…

"You're not a born Stand user, right? How did you become one?" Jotaro questioned again, narrowing his eyes at the serial killer. Angelo raised a brow before starting to cackle weakly, moving his Stand across the ground as little as possible.

"Y-you wanna know, huh? I'll tell you… They'll kill you eventually on their own!" Angelo spat. "The one who changed me into a Stand user was a student! Last year, before my execution, I was just waitin' for it all to end. But then, one night, this student came into my cell! I don't know how or why, but he shot me with an arrow." Josuke's eyes widened in realization, remembering the story that Sona had given him only weeks before. "You probably think I'm crazy or dreamin', but he did! Right into my head!"

"You're already crazy as hell as it is, so it makes sense." Issei huffed, looking down at the man with disgust.

"Continue. I'll decide whether or not I believe you." Jotaro encouraged, listening rather intently to the story.

"I thought I was dead for sure, but I was still alive. He pulled the arrow out of my head and walked away, sayin' that I could be useful to him. But that there was someone else that wanted to speak to me first."

"Someone else?" Josuke repeated with a raised brow. "Who?" Angelo started to slowly cackle again as his Stand got in a good enough position and glowed. Suddenly a magic circle formed in front of his morphed body, causing the three to widen their eyes in shock.

"The person who gave me the power to do this~!" He laughed.

"What the hell is that?" Jotaro mumbled, but both Issei and Josuke knew.

"Th-this bastard's a **devil**!" Josuke cried out, preparing to attack with **Crazy Diamond** again. It was too late though, a flame being launched toward the glove to free it from its hold.

"He's trying to free his Stand!" Jotaro declared, sweat running down his brow.

"Not on my watch!" Issei growled, raising his arm. **Sacred Gear!** He called out, his red bracer taking form. He quickly swung his arm, a green glow igniting and negating the fire before it could hit. Angelo gaped in shock, growling and fuming over the outcome.

"Sh-shit! You're a devil too?! What the fuck!" He groaned in anger, losing his chance to be free.

"Nice going, Issei." Josuke said, giving him a thumbs-up. Jotaro refocused on Angelo, glaring at the killer now.

"So you're a devil servant now. I guess there is no avoiding the subject anymore. Yare yare daze." Jotaro sighed shaking his head. "But that makes this even worse. Someone is turning them into Stand users then apparently turning them into you devils."

"I-it's not us! I swear!" Issei defended, though Jotaro nodded easily in understanding.

"I'm sure there are more of you than just the group I've met." Jotaro turned back to Angelo and narrowed his eyes. "If that's so, then who's the person who turned you into a devil?"

"Hah! Like I'd tell you assholes! I'd never betray my mistress! She'll come for me~!" Angelo cackled again. Jotaro sighed, knowing they most likely wouldn't get more out of him from that point on.

"Well at least I know how Dio received his Stand. But now I've got more questions than answers." Jotaro sighed. Suddenly the three heard a young boy scream, looking back to see the glove was now grabbing a young boy in rain gear by the back of his neck and starting to crawl in his mouth.

"Hah! You were so distracted by the fact that I'm a devil, I was able to grab that kid!" Angelo cackled manically, though still having trouble breathing thanks to his current situation. "Now get me the hell outta here!"

"Well, I still hate you honestly." Josuke sighed, pulling a comb from his shirt and starting to brush his hair. "So I don't really wanna." Josuke knew they were in control of the situation. Angelo's hostage was safe for now, and both Jotaro and Josuke were too fast for him to do much. He knew that.

"You still have time to worry about that chicken cock shit hair of yours?! If you don't get me outta here, I'm gonna kill that brat!" Angelo screamed at them, Issei widening his eyes in horror. Jotaro had never seen it before, raising a brow as the tall teen took a step forward.

"What'd you just say about my hair?" Josuke growled quietly, his eyes filled with fire.

"Josuke, remember the kid!" Issei tried to reason, but knew it was too late to do anything now. Josuke had been triggered.

"What's the big-" Jotaro started but without another word **Crazy Diamond** pounded Angelo even further into the rock, completely fusing his body. When the Stand withdrew its attack, Josuke turned around to leave, the glove around the boy's neck falling harmlessly off of him. Angelo on the other hand was completely gone, his face being the only image that could be viewed in the morphed rock face.

"Damn…" Issei muttered, staring at the rather disturbing sight.

"What the hell was that?" Jotaro asked quietly, glancing at Josuke from behind. The tall teen merely finished combing his hair before putting it away.

"Sorry, I just wasn't angry enough before. Guys like him should be embedded in stone." Josuke stated simply, walking toward his house. The rain started to stop, the sun shining through small rips in the clouds.

"Sorry about that." Issei apologized, rubbing the back of his head. "We kinda forgot in all this time to tell you about Josuke's trigger. He doesn't like anyone mentioning his hair in a bad way."

Jotaro stared at Josuke from behind as he walked away, victorious in gaining his vengeance for his grandfather. The veteran Stand user let out a deep sigh before following after him. "Yare yare daze. I thought the most dangerous thing about him was his Stand. Turns out it's his personality."

 **To be continued…**

 **PHEW! That chapter turned out WAY longer than I expected. It was meant to stop at the middle mark at the end of the funeral, but the chapter felt way too short leaving it like that. So I made sure to extend it with the entire fight instead of just half. As I'm sure you all know, DIU is out this week, which motivated me to get this chapter out so soon! (By soon I mean before my other story updates lol) That's the end of Angelo which was the catalyst for Josuke in the original story and serves as a further driving point of the character in this story. I hope you guys liked it, I know you were all aching for some JoJo action so I think this chapter served that up nicely enough :P**

 **To readers waiting on Strawhats Plus Vampire: I apologize that I updated this again before the next chapter of SPV, but I've been on the JoJo hype train lately and couldn't help but write this first lol My apologies. Know that SPV's next chapter is on the way, so don't be too discouraged.**

 **Alright, that's the end of the chapter I hope you all enjoyed! Remember to review and favorite for me :)**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Josuke whistled lightly as he approached Issei's house. It had been a day since the events involving Angelo, and he was feeling quite better. His mother was back home, still a bit reserved but visibly much better than she had been. Of course he knew her pain was much deeper than that, but his mother was strong. She wouldn't allow herself to look forlorn in front of Josuke, even if he knew she was still in pain. But Tomoko had her own way of dealing with her father's passing, as did Josuke. He wouldn't soon forget what happened, but he also wouldn't let it drag him down. He had to move on and fulfill his promise to his grandfather, and continue to protect his home. He couldn't do that if he was riddled with grief. After all, as Angelo had warned, there were still other Stand users out there, good or bad, apparently being recruited by a devil into her Peerage.

And so he continued forward, moving on with his life and seeing his best friend as he normally would in the morning. He looked forward to seeing Rias and the others, for he hadn't seen them since the funeral. Josuke wouldn't admit it, but he even missed seeing the rest of the pervert trio, too. Watching their antics would serve as a good example of how things were back to the way they were. Even if it were obvious that things weren't.

Josuke brushed off the thoughts weighing on his mind, looking up at Issei's home and smiling. He raised his arm to knock on the door, but to his surprise, it was pulled open first.

"Alright, mom and dad! See you guys later!" Issei called out before turning to Josuke, nearly jumping as he saw the tall teen standing before him. "O-oh, man. You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry 'bout that." Josuke waved off apologetically. "Just thought I'd pop in so we could go to school a little early. Maybe see the others." he suggested with a hopeful smile.

"That's cool with me. We were about to head over to your place to grab you, anyway." Issei told him with a thumbs up, earning a questioning look from his friend.

"'We'?" Josuke repeated before he heard a faint footsteps approach them from inside.

"I-I'm ready, Issei-san! Don't leave without-uwah!" A familiar quiet and feminine voice came from behind the brunette before Josuke heard a rather loud thud from behind Issei. The two looked back to see poor Asia on the ground, nursing her cheek where she apparently hit the ground. "Why do I keep falling…?" She mumbled wistfully.

"You're okay, come on." Issei sighed, walking over and helping the blonde to her feet. Josuke was still a bit startled to see Asia in Issei's home, pointing to her in confusion.

"What are you doing here so early, Asia-chan?" Josuke asked, knowing that it was a bit too early for her to have gotten ready and arrived at Issei's before he had. At the question though, Issei gave an apprehensive look as he rubbed his neck.

"A-ah, that's right, you don't know because you were busy this whole time…" Issei remembered before glancing back at Asia nervously. "Y-you see, Asia-chan didn't have anywhere to live after the fallen angel incident…"

"Uh huh…" Josuke hummed as his eyes narrowed slowly.

"A-and Rias-sempai wanted to make sure she had a place to stay…"

"Yeah…"

"S-so, a few days ago before the thing with Angelo she mighta…"

"What?" Josuke asked a bit lowly, already guessing what he was about to say, and **not** liking it one bit.

"Asia kinda… lives with me now…" Issei finished, a long silence following after that Josuke merely stared at him with wide eyes, trying to find the proper response to such an ordeal. He suddenly glanced at Asia who was innocently tilting her head in confusion. Josuke guessed that she was just blissfully ignorant to what Issei was capable of. He quickly dropped his bag on the ground and gently grabbed Asia's shoulders, a cold sweat running down his brow.

"Are you okay, Asia-chan? Has he been peeking on you or tried to touch you in weird places?" He questioned fearfully, the blonde widening her eyes and blinking up at him. "I swear if he has, I'll beat the shit out of him for you."

"Eh?" Asia mumbled, making it obvious to the tall teen that she was only further confused.

"Wh-what the hell are you saying, Josuke?! I would never do that! Even if I am a perv!" Issei complained, glaring at the taller teen in annoyance behind him. "Don't you trust me?"

"With everything not involving girls, yes." Josuke retorted plainly.

"I-I'm fine, Josuke-kun." Asia suddenly spoke up, bringing his attention back to her. "Issei-san treats me kindly and is very thoughtful. I'm very happy I could live with him, in truth." She declared, offering a bright smile of reassurance.

"Asia…" Josuke heard the brunette mumble behind him, quite touched by her kind words toward him. The tall teen smiled, releasing her shoulders and sighing.

"That's just **great**." He said before turning so that both Asia and Issei were in view. He glanced between them and smirked. "You should definitely date this girl."

"Eh?" They both squeaked, blushing and averting their gaze from one another. Josuke broadened his grin, laughing as they flustered up.

"D-don't be a jerk! Randomly saying stuff like that..." Issei snapped at him in annoyance.

"I'm joking, I'm joking." Josuke reassured with a roll of his eyes. "Come on, let's get going already."

"Yeah, yeah…" Issei huffed in agreement before turning to Asia. "Let's go As-" he started before stopping. Josuke raised a brow before looking back at Asia as well. The blonde had her back to the boys, holding her cheeks between her hands as she was mumbling to herself.

"I-I could never be with issei… We might do… Indecent things… B-but I wouldn't mind being with him…" She quietly muttered, apparently lost in her own world now. The boys couldn't help but sweat drop, the brunette clearing his throat to get her attention.

"Uh, Asia-chan…" He called out, immediately snapping Asia out of her subconscious rambling.

"S-sorry! I was a little lost in thought!" She apologized in embarrassment, snapping her eyes shut cutely as she again had trouble looking Issei in the eyes. "You both didn't… Hear anything, right?" She asked, peeking out with one eye at them.

"N-nah, I didn't hear a thing…" Josuke lied, not wanting to embarrass the innocent girl further.

"Same, not a thing!" Issei laughed with a bit of strain before clearing his throat. "L-let's get going already, guys!"

"Okay!" Asia chirped happily with a serene smile, walking in line with the two now as they started for school.

 _Well, at least she's happy to be here. Guess he's treatin' her right._ Josuke hummed mentally as they walked, shoving his hands into his pockets. As the three rounded the corner of the sidewalk, a familiar deformed stone came into view from the side.

"Yo, Angelo." Josuke greeted it with a salute, causing Asia to tilt her head in question.

"I don't remember seeing this strange rock before…" She mumbled, stopping for a moment to observe the stone Josuke had morphed the day before.

"It used to look normal until yesterday." Issei explained before waving to the rock as well. "See ya, Angelo." He said as he quickly followed after Josuke.

"How strange…" Asia muttered until shrugging as well. "Oh, well. Good day to you, Angelo!" She said with a bow before attempting to catch up with the others. If one had listened close enough to the stone at that time, they would hear the faint grunt of a man from within.

* * *

"Coming in~." Josuke announced as he arrived at Occult Research Club's room, yawning as he entered. The three had dawdled too long in the morning so the tall teen was unable to see his fellow club members save for Kiba during class.

"Ah, Josuke-kun!" Rias called out, smiling brightly as he entered. She was sitting on her desk in front of Asia and Issei who had arrived earlier than him, while Koneko, Kiba and Akeno stood to her side. "It's good to see you back with us. How are you doing?"

"Much better now, thanks." Josuke assured, offering a grateful smile. "I just wanna say thanks for all the help you guys gave me, again."

"There's no need for that, Josuke-kun. We're your friends after all." Rias dismissed with a grin.

"We're here for you, Jojo." Koneko announced, the petite girl chewing on a soft pretzel.

"You're one of us, human or not." Kiba chuckled, offering a kind smile.

"Don't be too shy to ask us for anything, okay?" Akeno giggled with a wink.

"Aw man, you're gettin' all the girls attention now…" Issei complained before smirking. "But I guess it's okay for one day…"

"G-geez, guys. Sayin' all that, you're makin' me blush over here…" Josuke laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck before smiling up at them. "The same goes for me. If you want me for somethin', just ask."

"Then would you mind becoming apart of my peerage?" Rias asked cheekily, making the tall teen nearly trip on his own feet. "Just kidding, I know your answer… for now." She giggled, earning a sweat drop from Josuke.

"You're certainly not too shy to ask, huh?" Josuke noted with a strained chuckle before clearing his throat. "By the way, did you speak to Jotaro-san?" With that question, Rias became serious again, nodding as her amused smirk was gone.

"I have. In a few days, Jotaro-san is going to have a meeting with us on what's to be done." Rias explained, glancing around at her peerage. "The fact that there is a devil out there making Stand Users as her servants is very troublesome. I don't want to bother my brother with this, so I'd like to keep it within our small group for now."

"Is it that big of a deal that she's gathering Stand users as her servants?" Issei asked curiously, becoming quite interested in the subject.

"Imagine if she's able to acquire a Stand user just as strong as Josuke, or even worse." Rias pointed out, shaking her head. "There is supposedly latent potential in making such men into Devils. The good thing is that many are still unsure how to unlock said potential. But if this 'mistress' is able to figure something out that we don't know, we'll all be in deep trouble."

"I-I see. I'd hate to run into something scarier than Josuke's Stand, too." Issei admitted with a gulp, earning a nod of agreement from Rias.

"We'll most likely work with Jotaro-san and prioritize on finding the Bow and Arrow." Rias informed further, resting her hands on the desk behind her. "He has many connections in the Speedwagon Foundation, and we have our own network to work with. I may even bring Sona in on this if it's truly necessary, though I'd hate to trouble her."

"Kuoh's not a terribly big place." Josuke suggested with a shrug. "We may not have to spread out our resources so far to find it. After all, Angelo was way closer than we thought when we found him." Suddenly he shook his head and gave a small smile. "But let's worry about that when we meet with Jotaro-san. So, what's the plan for today?" he asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Oh, well, Asia and I were about to go and pass flyers out." Issei declared before glancing at the blond. "In fact we should probably get going now before it's dark."

"Yeah." Asia agreed, the two standing from their seats before Rias held a hand up to halt them..

"Just a moment, you two." Rias called out, causing them both to stop. "This will be the last week you pass out flyers. As I've said before, it was only part of your training. Passing out flyers are supposed to be a familiar's job anyways."

"No more flyers? Really?" Issei asked, sounding a little excited to be done with the task..

"That's right, but first you need to get a familiar." Rias explained before holding up her hand. In a poof of smoke, a small bat-like creature appeared, floating a bit above her palm as it flapped its wings. "You've met her before, Issei."

"I have?" Issei blinked in confusion. The familiar flew a bit forward before poofing into smoke again, now replaced by a young woman with a short red dress and brown hair, offering them a smile.

"Amazing, it turned into a girl…" Josuke muttered in awe at the transformation before it turned back into a bat again.

"I've got one, too." Akeno spoke up, holding her hand out and making a small pentagram on the ground. From it a small green monster appeared, looking much like a baby monster.

"Is that an imp?" Issei asked curiously as it held up its arms to Akeno, almost as if asking to be picked up.

"This is Shiro." Koneko said this time, turning Josuke and Issei's attention to her. In her lap, a small kitten lie on it's back, a pair of bells around it's neck.

"You do seem to have a thing for cats, huh?" Josuke chuckled, leaning over and petting the feline's head. Koneko slightly blushed with embarrassment but didn't say anything as he pet the cat.

"How'd you know she likes cats?" Issei asked, making Josuke shrug.

"I just saw her with one once, is all." he answered before Koneko tugged on his sleeve and gave a cute glare.

"Don't bring it up." She told the tall teen, making Josuke hold his arms up in surrender.

"Sorry, sorry. I won't." The tall teen assured, making a small smile grace Koneko's lips before nodding.

"Oh, come on. Now I really wanna know…" Issei mumbled in disappointment. "Mine is-" Kiba spoke up before Issei held up his hand in disinterest. "No thanks, don't need to see yours." The brunette cut off, turning his back to the blond.n"Oh, come on." Kiba sighed with a curt smile, not really offended.

"You could show a bit of interest in Kiba's." Josuke rolled his eyes, moving away from Koneko's familiar and crossing his arms, despite the little mews of protest coming from the feline.

"It's a basic thing for devil's ." Rias spoke up once again, her arms crossed under her chest as she spoke. "They can assist you, deliver messages and even find things for you."

"Um, how do you get a familiar?" Asia finally spoke up, albeit shyly. Rias opened her mouth to speak again, but paused as they head the front door to the room open. Josuke turned to see two girls holding the door open before bowing, followed by the familiar face of Sona Sitri and Tsubaki Shinra. They were followed by several other girls and only one boy. He had dirty blond short messy hair, gray eyes and wore the school's pinstriped shirt.

"Wh-who are these people?" Asia asked Issei nervously, standing a bit closer to him.

"They're the Student Council, though I found out before that they're also devils at this school like us. But I didn't think the entire school council was part of her peerage." Issei explained, a bit surprised to see the bespectacled teen.

"Much like president, she is an heiress apparent to a high class devil family." Akeno informed them from the side.

"Why hello, Sona. What's the meaning of this visit?" Rias asked, a friendly tone in her voice.

"Just wanted to greet you, since I have a new servant just as you do now." Sona admitted with a small smile before spotting Josuke from the side. "Ah, Josuke-kun. Good to see you back at school. I heard about what happened with your family. My condolences."

"Thanks." Josuke nodded in appreciation, leaning against the wall as he watched the Student Council curiously. Several of the girls blushed as he looked over them, whispering to themselves before quieting as Sona spoke again.

"If you are feeling better, then perhaps you're willing to consider joining my peerage again. What do you say?" Sona asked bluntly, causing the majority of her peerage save for Tsubaki to gasp.

"J-Josuke-kun might join the peerage?!" One of the girls gasped, looking quite happy as well as other girls.

"That'd be so awesome!" One spoke hopefully.

"We'd have a real man with us!" another said, holding her hands up cheerfully. The single male among Sona's peerage looked around in distress, shocked by their reactions.

"No thanks. Still not interested." Josuke dismissed, waving his hand in front of him as a small sweat drop formed on his head. "You girls have pretty much abandoned the idea of subtlety, huh?" He mumbled with a sigh.

"H-he rejected even Sona-sempai?!" one of the girls spoke up in shock.

"H-he's so cool! Even the most popular girls at our school can't claim his heart!" Another said dreamily.

"I-is this guy really that popular?! What does he have that I don't!" The dirty blond spoke, pouting miserably at the attention the tall teen was receiving from the girls.

"I know, right? He's such a lucky bastard! Him and Kiba are the worst!" Issei complained this time, tears streaming down his cheeks in envy.

"It's seriously nothing for you to cry over..." Josuke muttered with a grimace, watching the two with minor annoyance.

"I suppose another time." Sona chuckled, holding a hand up to silence her peerage. "Back on topic, I'd like to introduce my new pawn. This is Saji Genshirou."

"Oh, I think I recognize you." Issei spoke, reverting back to normal. "You're from class 2-C, then new Student Council secretary, right?"

"Allow me to formally introduce my two new pieces since it was far briefer the last time you met him." Rias declared, holding her arm up to Issei and Asia. "This is my pawn Issei Hyoudou and my Bishop Asia Argento." She then held an arm up to Josuke. "And my eventual piece Josuke Higashikata."

"Hey!" Josuke complained from the side, earning a chuckle from her.

"Just kidding, again."

"Oh, so you're a pawn like me, huh?" Issei asked, speaking to Saji this time before holding his hips and smiling. "And we're in the same grade!"

Saji chuckled in response, shaking his head. "I must say it hurts my pride to be the same piece as one of the Pervert Trio."

"What was that, bastard?!" Issei snapped back in annoyance, narrowing his eyes and raising a fist.

"Oh, you wanna fight?" Saji taunted with a smirk before holding up four fingers. "I may have just become a devil, but I'm a piece worth a total of four pawns!"

"Think before you talk, dumbass." Josuke sighed as he looked at Saji this time. "Issei absorbed eight of prez's pawns."

"Wh-what?! No way, a lame guy like this-" Saji started before a look from Sona stopped him short.

"That's enough, Saji." She then turned back to Asia and Issei and offered a smile. "Forgive him for his outburst. Like you he is new, so please try to get along with him if you can." Sona requested kindly before turning to her new pawn again. "Saji."

"Y-yes, ma'am." Saji obeyed with a gulp, stepping forward and holding out his hand to them. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"A pleasure to meet you too!" Asia said, walking up before Issei and shaking his hand kindly. The dirty blond blinked in surprise before grinning like a dog and holding her hand between both of his.

"The pleasure is all mine, cutie! Let's try and get along~!" Saji told the former nun with a suggestive wink. Issei fidgeted in annoyance before quickly jumping over and taking Saji's hand away from Asia and shaking it with a death grip that caused his fellow pawn to cringe in pain.

"Nice to meet you, Saji-kun!" Issei said forcefully, giving a wry smile. "And by nice to meet you, I mean **I'll kill you** if you try anything with Asia, Saji-kun!" The dirty blond cringed for a long moment before swinging his arm up and down and turning the tables on him.

"Trying to keep this beautiful blond to yourself, huh?" Saji countered, making the brunette grind his teeth in pain as he squeezed his hand back. "Just what I'd expect from a pervy creature like you!"

"You must be having a rough time." Rias chided with a small giggle.

"Same to you." Sona retorted with a chuckle.

"How do you think it's been for me?" Josuke sighed, shaking his head.

"I was allowed to receive a familiar as soon as I debuted!" Saji attempted to taunt with a snotty smile. "I hear you're still handing out flyers!"

"Go to hell! President just told me that I'll be getting mine just now!" Issei lashed back with a smirk, causing Sona to blink.

"Oh, you were planning to see him too?" Sona asked, seeming slightly troubled.

"That's right, I was planning to take my peerage some time next week." Rias confirmed with a nod.

"But he only comes once a month. He won't be able to see us both." Sona stated, holding her chin in thought.

"Then how about we settle this in a fair game?" Rias offered with a small smirk.

"A game?" Sona repeated in surprise.

"The winner gets to commission him." Rias finished with a nod.

"Are you talking about a Ratings Game?" Sona asked, her expression becoming a bit more serious.

"Oh, no. We wouldn't even be granted permission for that." Rias dismissed, waving her hand in the air.

"That's true. Besides, you can't afford to be hurt right now, after all." Sona commented, quickly making Rias frown and close her eyes.

"That's irrelevant." Rias retorted, a small hint of irritation in her voice that Akeno and Josuke didn't miss. _What's with her?_ He wondered but kept quiet, watching as Rias smiled once again like she had not noticed herself. "I know! Why don't we settle this through sports, like the high schoolers we are?"

"What sport?" Josuke asked curiously, earning a small giggle from Akeno.

"I think we have a few in mind we can play."

* * *

"Huh. Not what I was expecting, but I guess it works." Josuke commented as he watched the current match unfold. It was what should be a simple tag team tennis match between Rias and Akeno against Sona and Tsubaki. Both teams were in tennis skirts, Rias sporting a pink one with Akeno in yellow while their opponents wore similar white outfits. Josuke originally thought it would be a closed event with only the peerages showing up to watch aside from himself, but that was quickly dismissed when he arrived to find many other students standing ready to watch, a majority of them boys but with quite a few girls as well.

"Fight hard, president!" Issei called out from behind the fence, leaning in rather too closely as he waited for the match to start.

"Please win for me, Sona-sempai!" Saji called from the opposite side of the fence.

"Let's win this, Akeno." Rias told her Queen, earning a respective nod from Akeno.

"Your serve, Rias." Sona offered with a curt smile. Rias tossed the ball into the air and quickly slammed her racket down, launching it at rather high speed. Sona quickly countered, hitting it back only for Akeno to lash back this time, and then for Tsubaki to do the same.

"I do want president to win, but I wouldn't mind if this game went on forever." Issei chuckled perversely, watching as the girls moved. It seemed that with each step or swing, the girls skirts would fly ever so up that their white underskirts would show quite easily.

"You're telling us. This is such a great view~!" Matsuda commented next to Issei, both he and Motohama using binoculars to watch the rather intense match.

"Y-you guys are here too?!" Issei asked in shock, but realized it made sense when he saw the crowd around them.

"Of course! You'd think we'd miss money shots like these? No way in hell!" Motohama laughed happily as he got the best look he could get on the girls.

"No kidding. It's really a dream right before our eyes~!" Issei hummed, turning back to watch the girls play again. A little ways behind the Pervert Trio, Josuke sighed before looking around at the crowd in question.

"I'm surprised that word got out about this game. Didn't only our clubs know about it?" Josuke asked, standing next to Koneko and Kiba.

"One of the Student Council members most likely put word out. I wonder why, though." Kiba commented, holding his chin in question.

"Souna-sama~!" The girls cried out in praise as the Sitri heiress returned a swing.

"Akeno Onee-sama~!" the boys sang out as Rias' Queen did a back armed swing, her panties flashing once again.

"Souna?" Josuke repeated, looking at the other two club members. "I thought her name was Sona?"

"Souna Shitori is the name she used when registering into this school." Kiba explained before looking back forward. "This game should be interesting since they can't use their powers, though."

"Too many spectators." Koneko added quietly, making Josuke look back up at the match again.

"Take this!" Sona proclaimed, holding the ball up before doing a powerful serve. "Shitori-Style spin serve!" This was further enforced by the magic sigil that appeared behind her as she swung, making Josuke sweat drop as she launched the ball with great force.

"Naive! Take my Gremory-Style Counter-" Rias declared but missed the swing as the ball bounced in a different direction, catching her off guard.

"Doesn't look like that's holding them back…" Josuke mumbled with a sweat drop.

"I have to agree with you, Josuke-kun." Kiba chuckled sheepishly, scratching his cheek.

"They're getting too fired up." Koneko added with the same amount of neutrality. "But it looks like the spectators are oblivious." Koneko noted as she heard several of the students speak, calling it a 'magic ball'.

"Just what I'd expect from my best friend, Souna." Rias huffed, smiling in determination as Sona scored once again, leading the game by a single point. "But don't think you can win so easily!"

"I must do this with all my heart. That how I will show my love for you!" Sona returned, giving a powerful serve.

"I think they're taking this a bit too seriously…" Josuke muttered as the game continued.

* * *

The match went on for much longer than expected, with neither team being able to win the match. In the end, the rackets each girl used could not withstand the force of their powers and finally broke. In the end, the match was undecided and the girls were unable to make a decision on who would take the spot for the familiar.

"So what happens now?" Josuke asked, his attention rather absorbed in looking over one of the very destroyed tennis rackets, turning it over in his hands as he looked it over.

"President and Akeno-san are speaking with the Student Council about doing a team match." The Knight of Gremory told them.

"Team match?" Issei repeated in question.

"President wants to get all of us involved in the next match." Koneko told them, taking the other racket from Josuke and placing them on the table. Before much else could be said, Rias walked in with Akeno, smiling at her peerage and the tall teen.

"We decided on dodgeball." Rias announced as she approached. "The game will be tomorrow night in the gym. Let's do our best for Issei and Asia, okay?"

"Yes." Koneko and Kiba accepted, happy to help out their fellow devils.

"Thank you very much!" Asia said in appreciation.

Rias smiled before turning to the lone human in the room. "Josuke. Even though you're not part of my peerage, Sona said that since you're part of my club she won't mind if you play on our team since she has more players. Are you okay with that?"

"Of course! I didn't know I wasn't gonna play in the first place." Josuke admitted with a small grin.

"Alright then, it's decided. I'll see you all tomorrow for the match." Rias confirmed before dismissing the club for the night, sending everyone home.

* * *

As planned, the clubs had gathered in the gym of the school the following night. Issei and Kiba wore black and white school jersey's for the game, while Rias wore a red version of it with the rest of the girls wearing white t-shirt and bloomers. Josuke on the other hand, always wanting to keep his typical style, wore a school jersey colored dark purple and yellow, a golden peace sign and heart button on each collar.

"You always like to keep your own style of clothing, huh?" Kiba commented with a chuckle as the two boys stretched, Josuke twisting his upper body while Kiba leaned down to touch his toes. "You don't even wear the usual school uniforms."

"Those things are too tacky for my taste." Josuke shrugged, flipping his collar up to emphasize his own style. "A guy like me has to keep his image up, you know?"

"Josuke's always been particular about his style, even when we were little." Issei strained to explain as sit on the ground with his legs spread wide, Koneko behind him to help him stretch out as she pushed on his back. "I wonder if that runs in his family…" Issei muttered before glancing at Asia and Akeno stretching out, the two doing the same stretch with Akeno behind Asia. His face started to take a turn for lecherous as he blushed, his imagination starting to run wild. _I can't help but get some good images in my head when they're close like that._

Koneko seemed to notice, narrowing her eyes before pushing Issei's upper body down harder and basically making his chest touch the ground, causing him to cry out loudly in pain before she finally released him from the stretch.

"You okay down there?" Josuke asked with a raised brow, poking him in the leg with his foot.

"No…" Issei mumbled in pain before suddenly jerking his head up. "O-oh, by the way everyone, I made something last night!" Issei said, holding his arm out for Josuke to help him up. The tall teen quickly pulled him to his feet. "Geez, gentler next time… anyways, I wanted to give everyone these!" He declared, going over to his backpack and pulling out several white headbands, the words 'Occult Club' sewn in with red thread at the center. The club members gathered around, the brunette handing one out to each member.

"Headbands?" Rias asked, a little surprised by the sentiment.

"My, they're lovely~!" Akeno commented with a kind smile.

"Did you make these?" Josuke asked, blinking in surprise as he held it up to get a better look.

"Yeah. I stayed up all night trying to get them just right." Issei explained, earning a small gasp from Rias.

"You didn't get any sleep?" She asked with a bit of concern, but Issei shook his head dismissively.

"You and Akeno-chan were trying so hard for our sakes, I wanted to return the favor." Issei explained before looking at the others. "Same with Koneko-chan and Kiba today as well. Oh and I guess Josuke, too."

"Why am I an afterthought?" Josuke mumbled sourly. Rias stared down at the headband in her hands without a word, a small smile on her features that Issei couldn't read, making him feel a bit self conscious.

"A-are the headbands kinda lame?" He asked, but Rias quickly shook her head.

"Not at all, they're wonderful Issei. Thank you." Rias quickly assured, making the brunette rub the back of his head sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it, it's nothing much." He dismissed, feeling happy to receive her praise.

"Unexpected coming from you." Koneko added, giving a small smile of appreciation as well.

"Let's wear these headbands and work hard as a team, okay?" Rias told the club, earning a quick cheer of approval.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Sona spoke from the door, turning the club's attention to the Sitri heiress who stood in uniform with the rest of the Student Council behind her. Rias nodded and motioned for her team to get in position, moving with the them to the opposite side of the court while Sona's team took position as well. Since Sona had one more member than they did, their extra teammate served as a referee.

"Get ready!" The girl called out, standing center of the court with a whistle in her mouth before blowing it. "Go~!"

The first member to strike from the Student Council was short blue haired girl that launched a ball at top speed, Josuke dodging to the side as she had picked him out first. "Come on, now! No holding back here?!" He asked but was shocked to see that the ball didn't stop with him. Koneko wasn't far behind him and barely dodged a direct hit that ripped up her shirt from the bottom up. "Koneko-chan!"

"Out~!" The referee called out, raising a hand.

"Are you okay?" Issei asked, but the white haired devil nodded her head.

"I'm fine, don't worry." She said before moving to leave. Josuke reached out with his Stand, quickly repairing her shirt for Koneko without a word and giving a small thumbs up. She smiled back at him before moving to the sidelines.

The next player to pick up a ball was Sona's Queen Tsubaki, who amped up her next hit with magic and aimed specifically for Rias. " **Grief of Memories!** " She called out before launching the ball with a powerful stroke. Rias widened her eyes before hardening her expression, reaching out with her hands and catching it with some difficulty.

"Impressive to be able to catch Tsubaki's full power swing like that." Sona stated with a smirk.

"Who do you think I am?" Rias chuckled before tossing the ball up and throwing it with stunning precision. While it was in the air, a red magic circle surrounded the ball before enhancing the speed and power of it's flight. One of Sona's members was the poor target of this ball, unable to stop it as it broke through her defenses and shredded her shirt apart.

"Amazing~!" Issei gaped, his cheeks red as he spoke of the naked girl as well as the speeding ball.

"Issei, watch out!" Akeno called out, jumping over his head and catching a ball aimed for him. In doing so, Akeno's shirt fluttered in the wind, causing her belly and part of her chest to be exposed, though she didn't seem to mind. "Try to pay more attention, okay?" She told him with a small smirk.

"Sorry, I was a little distracted…" Issei admitted, becoming distracted by her body this time. Shortly after that though, Issei realized just what kind of a hellish game they were playing as things started to heat up. "Whoa!" He cried out as he dodged another stray ball that left a crack in the wall.

"Dodgeball is a scary game!" Asia cried out in fear, covering her head with her arms in a vain attempt to protect herself.

"I don't think this is a sport anymore…" Issei mumbled as he fearfully watched another ball whiz past his head.

"Eh, I kinda imagined it'd be something like this after the tennis game yesterday." Josuke pointed out as he used **Crazy Diamond** to knock several balls away from him.

"President!" Saji spoke, pointing toward the loan brunette male of the ORC team. "Let's eliminate Hyoudou-san! He's exposed!" Sona narrowed her eyes and her glasses flashed before doing a long over stretch of her arm.

" **Shitori-Style Sinker Bomb Shot**!" Sona proclaimed before releasing her magic and launching the ball. Issei grimaced as it flew at him, hesitating to move at first.

"Issei, dodge it!" Rias called out, pulling him out of his funk. The brunette started to run back, quickly jumping to the ground and letting it fly over his head. Much to his surprise though, it flew back around and followed him. "You've gotta be kidding me!" He cried out in fear as he tried to avoid it once again, running backwards only for it to curve and hit him right in the balls. Issei was still for a moment before falling down with his butt in the air, his hands on his crotch. "I-it's all over for me…"

"Don't be a baby, you're fine." Josuke chuckled, walking over with the others as the game was stopped to give Issei a moment. "Here, I'll heal it for you."

"Pe-perhaps I should. Just show me where you were hit." Asia offered, summoning her ring to use **Twilight Healing**. Issei quickly rolled over and crawled a bit away from Asia.

"N-no, that's alright! It's in a private place…" Issei squirmed before looking up at Josuke. "Y-you can heal it since you don't have to touch the place that I was hurt."

Josuke looked at Asia for a moment then back at Issei before giving a sly smile. "I'm sure it's alright if Asia does it. Besides, the game's about to start back up." He said, turning his back to them. "Don't worry, I'll do my best to avenge your death."

"Yes, let us all do our best to avenge Issei!" Rias proclaimed sternly, nodding her head.

"It won't be in vain." Kiba agreed, gripping his fist in front of him.

"Uh, I'm not dead." Issei sweat dropped before glaring as Josuke walked away. "And you! Get back here and heal me!"

"Can't hear you, game's starting back up." Josuke dismissed with a wave over his shoulder.

"You bastard…" Issei mumbled before Asia touched his arm.

"It's okay, I'll do my best to help!" Asia tried to reassure strongly, only making Issei sigh and shake his head. "That's not the problem here…"

"I have to say, Josuke-kun. You've done well so far to survive, even if you are a Stand user." Sona praised as Josuke walked forward, picking up several balls. All that were left from Sona's team were herself, Tsubaki and Saji. "It makes me want you for my peerage even more. But I will not show you mercy when it comes to this game."

"I wouldn't expect anything less, because the same goes for me." Josuke smirked, holding the balls up for **Crazy Diamond** to take. **DORARARA!** It cried out, launching them at high speeds.

"Bring it-" Saji attempted to taunt, but was quickly silenced as a ball swiftly smashed into his groin.

"You won't get us so easily!" Sona declared confidently, dodging to the side along with Tsubaki before they could land any hits. "Your Stand is truly incredible, but it won't be that easy to eliminate us."

"Oh, I had no doubt about that." Josuke admitted with a sly grin, holding up several pieces of fabric in his hand for the Sitri heiress to see. "But you know, you girls really tore up the material on the balls when you were using your magic."

"Huh?" Sona blinked in confusion before she saw a pinkish aura surround Josuke. "It can't be…" She muttered before looking back to see the balls Josuke had just thrown floating in the air, surrounded by the same pink aura as the Stand user.

"Watch out, Sona-sama!" Tsubaki warned too late as the balls rocketed toward them, bouncing off Sona's stomach and Tsubaki's side harmlessly before hitting the ground.

"Game~!" The referee called, raising a green flag to signal the end of the game.

"We won! We won!" Issei and Asia cheered together, holding hands and jumping up and down in celebration.

"Just call me Josuke Higashikata, the man who turns the tables on his enemies." Josuke chuckled, giving his signature JoJo pose in victory. Sona blinked in shock, looking down at the ball that hit her and processing the fact that they had lost the match. Finally she smirked and closed her eyes, nodding in acceptance.

"I hate to say it, but we've lost. Well played, Josuke Higashikata-san." She spoke, motioning for her peerage to assist Saji. "All the more reason to want someone like you in my peerage."

"Fair is fair. We get priority on the familiars as agreed." Rias spoke up, taking attention away from her lone human club member.

"Of course. I don't like losing, but it was still fun." Sona conceded, turning to leave but looking over her shoulder at Rias. "Besides, in a Ratings Game I'd win, even if not in this child's game."

"Don't think I'll lose so easily either." Rias countered with a smile. "But it'll be a while before we can do one anyways."

"Indeed. Well then, see you later." Sona said, bidding farewell before walking off. Josuke and Issei shared a look, a bit confused by the term.

"Rating Game?" Issei repeated quietly to himself.

* * *

The club members quickly changed from their gym clothes and headed back to the clubroom, taking a short moment to celebrate their win. "Cheers!" Issei shouted, followed by the rest of the club cheering the same.

"The Occult Research Club has marvelously defeated the student council!" Rias toasted, holding her cup of soda high. "Good job everyone."

"I feel bad I got eliminated, though." Issei admitted with a sigh.

"Don't be. It was thanks to you and those headbands that we were all in such high spirits." Kiba declared, making the brunette blink in surprise.

"He's right, Issei. You contributed quite well!" Akeno assured with a kind smile.

"Stop gettin' down on yourself when you don't need to, idiot." Josuke nudged him with a small smirk. "You did good."

"Guys…" Issei muttered before smiling at Kiba and shaking his hands. "You're pretty awesome sometimes, just sometimes, for being a pretty boy, Kiba!" He laughed, earning a sheepish chuckle from the blond male.

"Now that we've had our fun, it's time to get our familiars." Rias stated, a large magic circle appearing under Akeno's feet as she walked ahead of the group.

"R-right now?"

"He only sees clients during the full moon. We have to see him tonight." Rias explained, causing the newest members of the club to tilt their heads in question.

"Who?" Josuke asked this time.

"The familiar master." Rias answered. Moments later, the red circle shined across the room before suddenly placing them in a far different place. They found themselves in a dark forest with a dark red hue for moonlight instead of the natural white most are familiar with.

"Where are we?" Issei asked, looking around curiously at his surroundings.

"The forest where familiars are made." Akeno stated simply in explanation.

"We've all received our familiars from here." Kiba added.

"This place is pretty eerie, like something's going to jump at us at any time…" Issei mumbled, feeling a bit on guard while Asia hid behind him a bit in fear. "Y-yeah…" She muttered.

"Gotta catch 'em all!" They randomly heard, making Issei and Asia jump. They looked above them in the tree line to see a rather lanky man in his thirties. He wore a tank top and a backpack with shorts and a ball cap turned backwards.

"Wh-who are you?!" Issei asked cautiously, but the man only chuckled.

"I am the familiar master, Zatuji!" The man proclaimed proudly, holding a thumb to his chest. Josuke raised a brow, a little more than stumped by his rather odd appearance.

"Oi." He whispered, leaning toward Rias and Akeno. "Is this Satoshi knock off really the familiar master?" Rias found herself holding in a laugh while Akeno let a small giggle escape her mouth, trying to smother it with her hand.

"Y-yes, that would be him. But please don't make the comparison, or he'll deny it and will not help us." Rias told him, holding a finger over her lips in emphasis.

"You guys sure know some funny characters…" Josuke muttered with a sigh, shaking his head as he looked back up at the 'familiar master'.

"Looks like a full moon tonight!" Zatuji proclaimed, holding a hand over his eyes to block the light. "Perfect night to catch some familiars! And no one is better than me!" He put his hands in a 'G' formation, trying to somehow put emphasis on the point.

"He's a professional when it comes to obtaining familiars." Akeno told them, though Issei didn't look very convinced of so as well as Josuke. "R-right…"

"Now, what are you looking for in a familiar?" Zatuji asked, placing his hands on his hips. "Speed? Strength? Perhaps one with venomous ability?"

"Get one that looks like Charmander or maybe Cyndaquil." Josuke suggests with a bit of excitement, but Issei had other thoughts.

"Actually, do you have one that's cute? Maybe one that looks like a hot girl?" Issei suggested, his signature lechery showing again.

"That always has to be the front of everything with you, huh?" Josuke muttered in disappointment.

"Tsk tsk, you newbies always have the wrong ideas in your head." Zatsuji declared, waving his finger. "You should always pick a familiar based on how useful they are and how compatible they are with your own powers and skills!"

"Um, I'd like a cute familiar too!" Asia asked hopefully, holding her hands together.

"Anything you want, baby!" Zatsuji quickly conceded, his face becoming bashful.

"Thank you very much!" Asia said happily, Issei becoming annoyed with the 'familiar master's' sudden change. "You son of a…"

"Come on! Let's head to the lake! I'm sure we can find some decent familiars for you newbies there!" Zatuji declared, leading the way forward for the group. Rias motioned for them to follow, trailing behind the much older man. Soon they came upon a rather standard lake, though at the center there seemed to be a light shining from within.

"The water spirit Undine lives in these waters. She can be of a lot of help to a newbie." Zatuji suggested, making Issei jump forward.

"Great! Judging from the name, she's probably a hottie!" Issei hoped, his imagination running wild again as his face hid no emotion, slightly grossing out the white haired devil behind him.

"Oh look, she's coming out!" Zatuji declared, turning everyone's gaze forward. From the center, a figure started to rise. It had long curly blond hair and a rather muscular frame as far as one could tell from behind. She(?) wore a short pink dress, suddenly turning around to reveal a very masculine figure and face, causing Issei to cry out in shock as it let out a roar.

"You're pretty lucky, boy. That's Undine." Zatuji smiled confidently, while Issei could only cry out in disappointment.

"No matter how you look at it, that's a fighter who came here to take a bath!" Issei whined, but Zatuji only shook his head.

"Hey, a fighting water spirit's pretty good. You should take her." The familiar master encouraged.

"No no no! There's no way! Is that thing even a woman?!" Issei whined, pointing a finger at the masculine familiar.

"Definitely is."

"Pfft, hahaha~!" Josuke started to laugh, holding a hand over his mouth as he tried to contain himself.

"Sh-shut up Josuke! Let's hurry up and get out of here…" Issei mumbled sourly, earning an eye roll from his best friend.

"You're such a baby." Josuke chuckled, calming his laughter before turning around so they could leave. Much to his surprise, he was face to face with a fairly large familiar. One that heavily looked like a turtle, and was chewing on a branch in its mouth rather slowly. Josuke immediately froze, staring at the turtle for a long silent moment.

"What's wrong, Josuke-kun?" Asia asked, looking past him and cooing happily. "Oh my, it's so cute! Do you like tur-"

" **Ah!** " Josuke finally freaked out, backing away from the turtle and accidently running back into Koneko and Akeno. "Th-that thing is friggin' scary!"

"What's wrong, Josuke-kun?" Akeno asked, peeking past his shoulder to see what had caused the Stand user to freak out. "Did you find something strange?"

"Ah, this is a Kamehame, just a simple docile familiar. Nothing scary about this one." Zatuji explained as he approached, watching as Asia petted the turtle's head.

"What spooked you like that, Josuke?" Rias asked, earning a sigh from Issei.

"Josuke's always been afraid of reptiles. He doesn't even like to touch them." Issei explained with a small smirk of amusement, happy to not be the joke this time. "Not so cool now, huh?"

"Sh-shut up! They're just kinda creepy with those scales and stuff! But I've been trying to conquer that fear, okay?" Josuke defended, now hiding behind Koneko as he slowly edged her closer so he could attempt to put one finger on the reptile's head.

"I'll protect you, Jojo." Koneko stated, though obviously knowing there was no real danger in front of them.

"Thank you, Koneko-chan. Just a little more and maybe I can get…" Josuke nodded in appreciation, reaching just a bit further before stopping several inches away from it's head.

"Fight hard, Josuke-kun! We believe in you!" Asia cheered from the side, watching him rather intently.

"You always seem to have the oddest triggers." Rias commented with a giggle before motioning for the others to follow. "Come on, everyone. Josuke-kun can conquer his fear of turtles another time."

"It's okay, Josuke-kun. No need to strain yourself." Akeno assured, gently grabbing his shoulder and pulling him along.

"B-but I'm so close!" Josuke whined as Akeno and Koneko basically dragged him away from the turtle familiar. The group finally moved forward, going out to find some decent familiars for both new devils this time.

Katsuji led the way, holding up his arm to halt the group and narrowing his eyes. "Wait…" He muttered before pointing toward a tree a ways ahead. "There!" He announced, indicating a small creature sitting on a branch. It appeared to be a tiny winged lizard, blue with white bellied scales and a pointed nose.

"A dragon?" Issei wondered, while Asia marveled at the small familiar.

"It's so cute!" She cooed, her eyes shining in hope as she saw it.

"It's a sprite dragon." Zatuji confirmed for them. "A baby dragon with the power of cerulean lightning."

"It's quite a high-class one." Kiba added in slight awe.

"It's my first time actually seeing one." Rias admitted as well.

"The time to catch it would be now." Zatuji informed them, turning back to the group seriously. "It's impossible to catch in its mature form."

"Issei has the power of the Great Red Emperor Dragon." Akeno declared knowledgably. "Their compatibility should be fine if he tries."

"Alright then!" Issei nodded with a determined grin. "Sprite Dragon! I choose you-" A yelp from Asia caused the brunette to stop, looking to the blond to find her now covered in a green slime. It didn't stop there, falling upon the entire group and covering all of the girls with it. "W-whoa!" He cried out as it seemed the girls clothes were slowly dissolving.

"Slime!" Kiba cried out, trying to strike some with his sword before it fell into his eyes and blinded him.

"What the hell is this crap?!" Josuke cried out, doing his best to avoid it. "Oi, girls! Are you oka-" Immediately he blushed in embarrassment, turning his back to the girls as he realized their clothes were being destroyed. "U-uh wh-what's going on?! What do I do?!"

"Ara ara, this is so embarrassing!" Akeno cried out as her clothes were being rest of the girls fell into similar states, unable to do anything to stop it. Issei stared for a moment before blood finally dripped from his nose, causing him to wipe it and give a devilish grin.

"Th-this stuff is wonderful…" He muttered before being struck by Koneko who glared down at him.

"Stop looking." She warned, doing her best to attempt to cover herself. She then looked in Josuke's direction, making sure the lone human wasn't peeking either.

"I haven't seen anything!" Josuke cried out, his back still to them as he felt Koneko's gaze on his back. "B-but I feel like I should do somethin'..."

"These are slimes that feed on textile." Zatuji explained, his arms crossed while his eyes were covered by the slime, though obviously having got one look before as his nose was dripping with blood as well. Behind him Kiba was also blinded by slime, swinging his sword blindly in an ill attempt to destroy it. "They're usually harmless aside from eating girl's clothing."

"Oh, great. I thought they were gonna ruin my clothes too." Josuke sighed in relief before a piece of wood hit his head.

"Why is it you're only concerned about your own clothes?!" Issei cried out before looking back lustfully at Rias and the others. "B-but this stuff is amazing." He finally gasped before smiling and raising his hand. "Pr-president! I wish for this slime to be my familiar!"

"Pl-please Issei! Think hard before ch-choosing such a thing as a familiar! It-it's very important to know the right-ah~!" She cried as the slime started to get into rather dirty places, between her legs and around her breasts as more of her clothing started to disappear.

"I've made up my mind! I truly wish for this slime to be my familiar!" Issei proclaimed loudly, blowing air out of his nose in determination.

"Stop being a pervert and do somethin'!" Josuke growled in annoyance, his own problem with looking obvious as he was trying to think up something he could do. "I-I can't use **Crazy Diamond** blindly or I might hit the girls…" He grumbled, sweating a bit as he was having a hard time focusing with the girls constantly making rather… indecent sounds.

"Oh, my~! Not there~!" Akeno cried out, though to Josuke it honestly sounded like she was enjoying the current situation. His eye twitched in annoyance, doing his best to try and ignore her and the rest of the girls, along with his best friend's cries of joy.

"Come on, Josuke! You know you wanna look~!" Issei spoke with a dark chuckle, nudging the taller teen with his elbow. "Come to the dark, pervy side~!"

"Will you shut up?! I'm thinking!" Josuke groaned, his blush still very evident on his cheeks.

"You can only resist for so long! It's only a matter of time!" Issei cackled as he went back to watching the girls helplessly lose their clothes.

"I-I can't use my powers like this!" Rias cried out, looking at the lone human who was still in self-conflict. "J-Josuke-kun! Right now you're the only one capable or willing to help! Pl-please-ah~!" She cried out before one of the slimes crept into a very delicate place. Josuke grinded his teeth in frustration before looking at Zatuji from the side.

"O-oi… the slimes are just eating their clothes. Not dissolving it into nothing, right?" He asked slowly, to which Zatuji nodded.

"That's right, they're making themselves larger by converting it into their bodies." Zatuji confirmed for him. Josuke was silent for a moment before releasing a deep breath and standing at full length.

"As a man, I shouldn't look out of respect for the girls." He declared proudly, his eye twitching as Josuke tried to solidify his resolve. "B-but to help them… I'll do what I have to…"

"W-wait, Josuke! What are you planning?!" Issei asked, covering his mouth in fear. Josuke turned toward the girls with his eyes closed tightly.

"Girls… please excuse me for looking!" Josuke proclaimed, opening his eyes and dashing toward them. " **Crazy Diamond!** " He cried out, summoning his Stand forward in front of him. **DORARARARA~!** It roared as it unleashed a barrage of punches toward them. Surprisingly it hit with pinpoint accuracy, never touching the girls as it knocked the slime off their bodies and freed them from its clutches. "Now fix it!" Josuke cried out, using his powers to begin 'repairing' the girl's clothes.

"N-no! Josuke! You'll destroy it!" Issei cried, making his best friend hesitate for a moment. He held a hand over his chest, his eyes becoming heavy as he pleaded now. "Josuke, please… for me. Let my dream come true of having a familiar that can aid me in my carnal desires."

Josuke was silent for a moment, looking down at the green slime before looking back up at Issei. "Issei… as your best friend…" the tall teen gave him a thumbs up. "It's my job to make sure your dreams are shattered."

"How does that make sense?!" Issei whined as **Crazy Diamond** appeared again, helpless to stop the Stand user. The green blobs started to shrink as parts of them drifted back to Rias and the others, restoring their clothes and covering the girls once more. "How could you..?" the brunette asked, feeling betrayed as he fell to his knees.

"Good job, Josuke-kun. Now to dispose of the rest." Rias thanked as her clothes fully returned to her body. She held out her hand with narrowed eyes and created a magic circle, using her Power of Destruction to blast the slime. Issei held his face and wiggled his body in horror, unable to save his would-be familiar.

"Sorry about this." Akeno giggled as she summoned lightning and destroyed the slime around her as well. Again, Issei wiggled his body hopelessly. Soon Koneko and Kiba followed suit, the swordsman finally pulling the slime from his face. Soon there was very little slime left to destroy, save for what was left on Asia. Issei realized this, and quickly wrapped his arms around the blond to protect his desired familiar.

"No! I won't let you destroy it!" Issei cried out, hoping his body was a good enough shield for the slime. Asia seemed to forget her predicament, smiling bashfully as she enjoyed the embrace of the brunette.

"Step aside, Issei." Rias ordered, her cheeks flush and eyes narrowed as she held a hand up prepared to launch her magic. "Disgusting creatures like this deserve to be burnt away."

"You might as well destroy Issei too." Josuke joked, though there was an evident blush on his cheeks. He had seen more than he'd like to admit. "Just get outta the way. You know it's over for the slime."

"No, please! Slatarou and I were bound by fate to meet each other and become partners!" Issei pleaded, tears in his eyes as he abandoned all pride in hopes to save the creature. "You can't separate us now!" He hugged Asia closer, making the small blond blush a bit more. _He's holding me so close!_

"He's even named it…" Kiba commented, a bit shocked by how far Issei was willing to go to protect the odd familiar.

"Never thought I'd see the day when a devil would want a pest as a familiar." Zatuji chuckled as he watched the display Issei was putting on. "The world truly is big."

"He's usually such a good boy. But he's far too honest with his carnal desires." Rias sighed, disappointment and sadness in her gaze.

"Please don't look at me with such pity, president!" Issei whined before clenching his fist in front of him. "With this slime as my partner, I can become a true hero!"

"How does clothes dissolving slime make a hero?" Josuke griped, stepping forward to get ready and pull Issei off of Asia himself. A tiny bolt of electricity stopped him though, zapping Issei and burning the last bit of 'Slatarou' that was left.

"What was that…?" Issei mumbled as he fell on his back as a result of the shock. The club members looked above to see the small sprite dragon from earlier hovering above their heads.

"The Sprite Dragon attacked it?" Rias questioned as she watched it fly down toward Asia. Issei quickly recovered, jumping to his feet and looking down at his dead would-be familiar.

"Slatarou!" He cried out before glaring daggers at the tiny dragon. "You bast-" He was quickly silenced with a shock, putting him back on the ground.

"Issei!" Asia cried out in concern, approaching until the sprite dragon gently landed on her shoulder, huddling around it protectively.

"Ho-ho! This is intriguing!" Zatuji proclaimed, holding his chin in interest. "Sprite Dragons usually only attack like that in self defense or to protect. It must have thought that the boy and the slime were attacking the girl." the familiar master pointed out, watching as the small familiar jumped into Asia's arms.

"He's so cute~!" Asia cooed as she hugged she small dragon with it returning the gesture by rubbing into her neck with it's head.

"Congrats, little lady. It looks like you've got your familiar!"

* * *

In the dark of night, a young woman stood near the Higashikata household, her gaze fixed on the Angelo Stone. She was once the master of the now morphed and rock-made Angelo, but now he was no more. The silverette placed her hand on the stone's maw, wondering if he was still alive. To her surprise, she could still feel the faintest amount of demonic energy from within, making it apparent that there was still some life left within the rock. "A fate worse than death…" She muttered, rubbing the stone face as if to sooth it from it's pain. Angelo could no longer feel though, only see and possibly even think.

"What a shame." She sighed, taking a step back from the stone and crossing her arms. "You were quite the useful Knight. I would have liked to keep you as so. That deranged mindset and bloodlust made you very helpful." She raised her arm and let a faint purple energy resonate from her hand. The Angelo Stone soon did the same and moments later a small piece came from it's center, a knight piece.

"But despite how useful you were, you honestly disgusted me." The Devil chuckled, taking the piece in her hand and tucking it away. "You did things even I would cringe at. Perhaps this fate to watch the world in front of you forever, never feeling, is well deserved." She turned to leave, giving no more heed to the stone. "Farewell, Angelo. Enjoy your newfound immortal life." She didn't walk too far from the stone, though. She moved down the street and onto a property that looked long abandoned. The house on it was large, almost ominously so, and was quite worn down. She didn't bother to knock, opening the door and walking inside. The front hall of the home was quite large but just as disturbing as the outside when it came to wear and tear.

"Who's there?" A stern voice called out, causing the Devil to pause in her stride. She held her hands up in surrender, a small smile on her lips.

"Just me, Keicho. No need to become so defensive." She chuckled as her gaze led up a flight of stairs. On the tall balcony, a large male figure stood there, his appearance covered in darkness, though it was no problem for a devil like her to see.

"What do you want, Myrcella." The man huffed, sounding none too excited to see the devil. The devil called 'mistress', now known as Myrcella faked a pout and crossed her arms in front of her.

"My oh my, Keicho! Is that any way to speak to your cute business partner?" She asked, her tone being very well disguised to sound cute. The man known as Keicho only scoffed, turning his back to the devil.

"I doubt you came here to make small talk, devil. What is it?" He asked bluntly, earning a small smirk from Myrcella who only shook her head.

"Oh my, so blunt. You'll never get a girlfriend acting like such a stiff." the silver haired devil teased before becoming serious. "I'm sure you know by now that my Knight Angelo was defeated, correct?"

"Yes. I saw the spectacle myself when he was fused into stone." Keicho admitted, crossing his arms and leaning on the rail of the stairway. "Looks like you'll be needing more pieces soon."

"That's right, I will." Myrcella agreed, crossing her arms over her well endowed chest. "Usually I would ask for you to find more for me, but-"

"Why not Tamami or Hazamada?" Keicho suggested, though the tone of his own voice was a bit condescending. "I'm sure they can be of some use to you."

"Both of their Stands are fairly weak, even if useful to some degree." Myrcella dismissed with a huff, annoyed by the suggestion. "But I'm not here to talk about a new servant. I'm here for the Bow and Arrow."

"What about them?" Keicho asked, an edge in his voice that sounded rather dangerous at the mention of the holy items.

"With how close Josuke Higashikata is to this house, I don't think it's wise for you to keep them here." The devil told him plainly, watching the darkened figure grip his hand in annoyance. "Just give them to me so I can put them in a place out of his reach."

"Don't be ridiculous." Keicho scoffed, tactfully covering his annoyance with confidence. "If Josuke Higashikata and his devil friends find this place, they'll be killed. There's no issue."

"I think you may be underestimating the new Stand user." Myrcella retorted, placing her hands on her hips. "Just from seeing what's left of Angelo, I doubt you want to run into him."

"Perhaps you're underestimating me, Myrcella." Keicho answered, a bitter tone in his voice. "Besides, our deal stays. I keep making Stand users for you to use as servants until one of them does the job I need, or until you and your kind find a way to do it for me. Until then, I won't be handing the Bow and Arrow over to you."

"I will not allow for the Bow and Arrow to fall into the hands of the Gremory girl." Myrcella retorted in annoyance, her eyes narrowing as her patience was starting to grown thin. "Despite what confidence you have in your powers, I can't be bothered to take such risks."

"I don't care what **you're** not willing to risk. I will keep it safe. Until my wish has been granted." Keicho replied evenly, though a minor sense of enjoyment in his voice. It seemed he liked to be in charge of the situation. Myrcella on the other hand did not.

"You would deny me the Bow and Arrow?" She asked, a dangerous edge in her tone. From the shadows, she heard several small clicks as if guns had been prepared.

"They're not yours to take yet. If you have a problem with that, then by all means take your servant and leave." Keicho said bluntly, watching the silver haired devil. Myrcella closed her eyes as if thinking before giving a curt smile and shook her head.

"No, that's fine. We'll stick to our usual agreement. Just remember to not grow too attached to the Bow and Arrow once we find what you want." Myrcella warned lightly, turning around and taking her leave. "And she's not my servant, she's a close friend. She's here to make sure if you run into any devil trouble, you won't be in over your head."

"If you say so. She's taken a liking to Okuyasu it seems. Or at least in ordering him around." Keicho scoffed, disappearing into the shadow of the upstairs hall and ending the conversation. Myrcella raised a brow before starting to leave.

"Myrcella!" The devil heard from behind her, a small shadow coming out of one of the rooms down the hall. "Why didn't you let me know you were coming by?" As she came closer into view, her appearance became very apparent to the devil. She was rather tiny, definitely a loli, only going up to Myrcella's shoulders. She wore a very gothic outfit, her dress red and going down to her knees. She wore long black stockings and high heels. She had long blond wavy hair and red eyes, her skin very pale like an old glass doll.

"Ah, Elmy-chan. I trust that the Nijimura brothers are treating you right?" Myrcella giggled as she saw her friend approach. In response, the red eyed blond only scoffed and crossed her arms.

"I am a pure-blooded vampire. I shouldn't be on 'guard duty' for a bunch of lowly humans." the apparent vampire huffed in annoyance. "That older brother is quite full of himself. I would have drained him of blood had you not insisted I do this for you. The other is an imbecile, but he at least has his uses." She declared before looking back at the kitchen. "Servant! Where is my meal?!"

"O-oi! How many times have I told you not to call me that?!" A rather raspy voice said from the kitchen in annoyance. "A-and it's almost done! Stop whining!"

"Servants don't get to speak so highly to their masters!" The vampire retorted with a confident tone in her voice. "Hurry up and finish making it before I punish you by extracting some blood directly."

"Ah-alright, alright!" The voice responded in panic, obviously the idea scaring him slightly. Elmy, as Myrcella had called her, giggled in triumph before turning back to her friend. "It's quite fun to order him around. Perhaps when all of this is over, I'll turn him into my own official vampiric servant."

"No fair, Elmy-chan!" Myrcella faked a whine with an innocent tone again. "I wanted Okuyasu-kun for my peerage~!" She then chuckled, readjusting to her normal voice. "But in all seriousness, that might be smart. His Stand is rather terrifying. I wish I could have seduced him into my own. He ever tell you why he said no?" She asked curiously.

"I did. Apparently he doesn't trust you." Elmy sighed, turning her gaze back to the kitchen slightly. "He's usually rather dumb, but I suppose instinct dictated to him not to follow you. Sorry about that, Myrcella." The silver haired devil only giggled, shaking her head.

"It's fine, I'm unoffended. It's odd to see him think without someone ordering him to." Myrcella pointed out before leaning in to her vampire friend so that they were eye level. "But he's right not to trust me. Soon, I will be **terminating** our contract with the brothers. Understand?" She whispered with a sly smirk, making the loli vampire's eyes widen a bit before she nodded.

"I do. Just be sure to alert me when you do so." Elmy told her, to which the silver haired devil agreed.

"I'll be taking my leave now. Just keep doing what you're doing for now until I give the word. You may run into trouble before I can intervene." Myrcella instructed the vampire.

"I'll be sure to keep the act up until the time comes." Elmy agreed. Myrcella turned around to leave, but the vampire spoke once more. "O-oh and… if you do terminate things with Keicho…" Myrcella stopped and glanced back at the vampire, who had a rather strained, almost embarrassed, expression about her. "Try to… spare Okuyasu if you do." Myrcella raised a brow, surprised to hear her friend stick up for the human. She suddenly giggled, forcing the vampire to blush redder. "Wh-why are you laughing?! I only say so because he's a good servant!"

"If you say so. Though it seems Keicho Nijimura was right." Myrcella teased lightly, sticking her tongue out at the vampire. "Fine. Just for you, I'll do my best to leave him out of my plans. But it's your responsibility should he get in the way, understood?"

"F-fine…" Elmy agreed quietly, watching Myrcella nod and finally take her leave. The loli vampire sighed before turning back to the kitchen sternly. "The meal better be done by the time I walk into the kitchen!"

Myrcella waited until she was a good distance away from the Nijimura household to pull out her phone. She quickly dialed a number and listened to the ring until she head a click. " _What's rock n' rollin', baby~!"_

"Hello, my Queen. I just wanted to inform you that as of tomorrow, our deal with the Nijimura's will be void." Myrcella declared with a wicked smile, earning a small laugh from the other side.

" _I understand, no worries! Will we be terminating them?"_ He asked unwavering, earning a small giggle from the silver haired devil.

"The main priority will be retrieving the Bow and Arrow from the household. Terminating them is not specifically needed, but I doubt that Keicho Nijimura will give it up so easily." Myrcella explained, holding her chin in thought. "If he attacks you, kill him. He knows quite a bit about my plans."

" _I'm guessing that the same goes for his brother, then?"_ The rather flamboyant voice questioned, but Myrcella gave a sigh.

"Usually it would, but Elmy-chan specifically requested to spare him. So do me a favor and avoid him as much as possible. I'd hate to break a promise to her. She agreed to take responsibility should he intervene as well." Myrcella explained, earning a rather boisterous laugh from the other side.

" _Sounds like that little loli's gotten a bit smitten, eh? How surprising."_

"It seems that way. But regardless, I said I would avoid killing him if possible at least." Myrcella reaffirmed before smirking. "But that does not go for the older brother. If the chance presents itself, kill him."

" _Understood, baby~! Just leave it to your Queen to_ _ **electrify**_ _their souls!"_ The voice cackled one last time before hanging up. Myrcella grinned darkly again before proceeding to head home, stuffing her phone back into her pockets. _It's time to claim what is mine._

 **To be continued…**

 **Just wanna say this off the bat. This chapter was NOT supposed to be this long! Like at all! It somehow became the second longest chapter I've ever written, like seriously how?! It's driving me nuts that it dragged out to this length of over 12 thousand words. I was expecting it to be at a little over 7! But perhaps because I followed episode 7 of DxD so closely it took this long. Ugh. While this chapter was a lot of fun, I don't think it deserved such length. Seriously, I was not trying to drag it out like this. So understand the end of the little Familiar part was abrupt because I wanted to get it over with. Sorry for cutting it short like that. The ending scene was the really important part of the chapter after all.**

 **As for the recent revelations, I just want to point out that yes, this devil collecting Stand users as her servants is an OC of mine. Her purpose will become clear soon enough. As for the vampire girl though, she is actually NOT an OC. So have fun trying to figure out who she is. Hint, I don't believe she's made an appearance in the anime as of yet, just in the LNs.**

 **If anyone has specific questions for me, leave it in the review section or go to spacebattles and post on the forum I've set up for this story. I posted it there to make it easier to speak to people about the chapters without having to PM all the time.**

 **Also, as for what happened to the Prince chapter, I am going to be posting it on the spacebattles page as well in case you want to read it. I just felt it was necessary to take it out from here for chapter 9. Hope you all understand.**

 **Anyway, things are about to heat up again, so look forward to that! I hope you all enjoyed, please leave a review and favorite for me. Thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Jotaro went over a stack of files that the Speedwagon Foundation had sent to him in the past week. Along with information about the bow and arrow, he had sought out another topic: Devils and Angels. It had become quite clear to him that none of this was an act during the fight with Angelo, and that he needed to inquire more about his new allies and possible future adversaries. He wasn't sure what they could dig up for him, but some information was better than none.

" _We provided you with everything we could involving a bow and arrow around the Stand user incident."_ The SWF representative spoke over the phone as Jotaro continued to turn pages within the files. _"We hope it can be of assistance."_

"Thank you. At least now we know those photos we captured in Egypt ten years ago make more sense now." Jotaro sighed as he held up a single photo from one of the folders. On it was a small, elderly woman in rags for clothes. Her skin was dark and her face was covered in large freckles. Her hair was pale with age, unkempt and puffed up. In her hands was ancient looking bow and arrow. "Were you able to get any information on my other request?"

" _Ah, information about Devils? Not much aside from the usual mythology in religions."_ The representative sighed before humming. _"I'm not sure why you might ask for that, but I to trust your instincts. But there was something odd that happened while searching for some information on that…"_

"What?" Jotaro asked, raising a brow in curiosity.

" _You see, when our investigators went by more menial routes of intelligence gathering, they were suddenly blocked by the Roman Catholic church. It seems that they're hiding something."_ The man explained, causing Jotaro to furrow his brow.

 _So then it seems there are some people who know about their existence beyond a belief standpoint. It's not much of a surprise that the Catholic Church is the most aware. I'll be sure to ask Josuke's friends about it._ Jotaro mused before nodding. "Alright then. Try to find out what information you can without their knowledge. They'll only deny and refuse if you try to go through them for the information."

" _Understood, we'll do our best to do so. Is there anything else you need, sir?"_ The representative asked.

"No, that's it. Please contact me as soon as possible when you've learned something." Jotaro replied before hanging up the phone. He picked up the picture and a small number of files, putting them away into his duffle bag. He took a quick look at the watch on his wrist, seeing that it was half past eight in the morning. _I should get going. Josuke and his friends will should be there waiting for me already._

* * *

"They wanna do what?" Josuke asked with a raised brow. Currently he, Issei and Asia had just departed from his house for the scheduled meeting with Jotaro. It was a sunday, and so they were free to meet in the morning without much trouble. They would finally discuss what would be done about the Stand users and the Devil that was apparently awakening them. Though this was not the topic being discussed by the group of three now. They had more mundane matters on their mind at the moment.

"Go do some karaoke! I think it's a great idea!" Issei informed the tall teen with a large grin. "Come on, it'll be fun!"

"I mean, I don't mind or anything but is it really okay for a bunch of guys to go together to do karaoke?" Josuke asked curiously, having never done it before. "That's usually somethin' guys do at a mixer or with chicks."

"Asia-chan's coming with us." Issei said, motioning to the blonde. "And we're going to ask Koneko-chan as well."

"I-I think it sounds like we'll have fun as well!" Asia added in her meek voice, offering a hopeful smile.

"I dunno…" Josuke trailed off, unconvinced for the moment.

"You know Matsuda and Motohama just wanna hang out with you. They're just making sure the conscience of the Pervert Trio is still okay." Issei told him, nudging his side.

"Yeesh, it's not like I didn't see them at school. Those jerks…" Josuke shrugged, but was unable to hide the small smirk at the edge of his mouth. Asia and Issei both chuckled but said nothing, knowing that Josuke was going to participate either way. He wasn't one to miss out on friendly events like that anyways. Asia's vision trailed away from the two as Josuke and Issei started to talk about their other options, her eyes landing on a rather beaten down house. She tilted her head in curiosity before widening her eyes. In one of the windows she could almost clearly see a figure move, making her grab Issei's sleeve.

"Issei-san, does someone live here?" Asia asked curiously, turning both boy's attention to her. Issei and Josuke glanced at the house in question.

"This place? No way. Never seen anyone come out of it since I've lived here." Issei shook his head before glancing at Josuke. "You?"

"No, it's the same for me. This place has been deserted for a long time." Josuke explained as he glanced back at Asia. "Why do you ask?"

"I could have sworn I saw someone in the window…" Asia declared, pointing to the window in question. "Maybe someone moved in?"

"No way. There would be moving trucks or realtors around this place if there was." Josuke pointed out, jerking a thumb at his house. "I would've noticed if someone was moving in or at least coming and going. My house is right down the street."

"How strange…" Asia muttered, looking back up at the house and tilting her head. "I wonder who it was I saw then?"

"Perhaps it was a ghost of the last person who lived here?" Issei offered jokingly, making Josuke give a small shiver.

"Hey, don't go saying stuff like that! It's right down the street from my house!" Josuke huffed as he turned around to look back at his house. "Ghosts are scary."

"Coming from a guy who's friends with a bunch of Devils?" Issei laughed before walking up to the gate of the home. "Come on, I'm sure a ghost is no big deal by comparison." He chuckled before looking back at Asia and pushing the gate open with one arm inside. "There's no one here, Asia-chan. I'll even take a look around and-"

Suddenly the gate was slammed closed on Issei's arm, causing him to grunt in pain as it was now jammed between the doors. Josuke and Asia widened their eyes as a teen stooped over the gate, pushing it closed with his foot. "Hey, who said you could look in my house, punk?" The teen gruffly demanded, his voice rather raspy. He was quite tall, standing just a couple inches shorter than Josuke. In a somewhat similar fashion he was spotting a pompadour, though it was far more tame and smaller, looking more in keeping with current fashion. He wore a dark blue school uniform with a golden plated dollar sign on the chest and on his collar. On his arm was written 'Billion' in all caps with the same written on his opposite shoulder but in Japanese kanji instead. He was rather dark tanned in skin tone with large round eyes and a distinctive facial scar, two half circles, tracing down his face from his scalp to his jaw line.

"Issei!" Josuke and Asia cried out in surprise before the former glared at the tall teen pinning the brunettes arm. "Hey, hurry up and ease off the door!"

"Don't tell me what to do. You're the one's trespassing on my dad's yard." The teen scoffed, glaring back at Josuke challengingly.

"I don't give a shit! Get-" Issei growled before using a bit of demonic strength to knock the door back with his shoulder, freeing himself. "- **off**!" The punk took a step back and raised a brow before smirking at Issei.

"Ho ho~, you're stronger than you look, brat. I'm impressed. You wanna fight now?" The teen challenged, making the brunette grind his teeth in annoyance.

"You didn't have to be an asshole! You could have just said something and told us to leave, bastard!" Issei snapped, pointing a finger at the taller boy.

"You're the one sniffin' around other people's houses, asshole. You're the bastard here." he retorted, crossing his arms as he took a step forward as if ready to fight. Josuke grabbed Issei's shoulder and pulled him away, glaring at the punk.

"Forget it, Issei. It's not worth the trouble." Josuke told him, trying to sway his friend from getting into a fight.

"He's the one who started it!" Issei growled, trying to break free from his hold and tempted to activate his Sacred Gear, even if it was some human punk.

"You should listen to your friend, brat. You might end up gettin' hurt." The punk laughed as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Why don't you go back into your house, dumbass. You're the one getting him riled up." Josuke replied, narrowing his eyes at him.

"I can do whatever I want. This is my house after all." The thuggish teen retorted, grinning smugly at the two. "Why, are you gonna make me?"

"If you don't shut your mouth, I might!" Issei answered him first, gripping his fist in anger. Before the two could proceed any further, Asia moved between them, holding her hands up to the brunette.

"Please don't fight, Issei-san! We don't need an unnecessary fight." She told him sweetly, causing Issei's anger to dissipate for the moment. She then turned to the punk and held her hands together in pleading, her eyes shining with innocence. "I'm sorry that we trespassed on your property, sir. Please find it in you to forgive us."

Josuke and Issei watched as the punk blinked in shock before his cheeks reddened, his face becoming a bit goofy and nervous. He started to rub the back of his head and turned his gaze away from the blonde. "U-uh well, whatever I guess… just don't do it again…" He mumbled out, his tough facade falling before their eyes.

"Thank you so much!" Asia happily grinned, making the punk only blush further and turn his back to them in an attempt to hide his embarrassment.

"D-don't worry about it…" He mumbled, getting ready to head back inside his home.

"Asia's got that affect on most people, huh? It's kinda amazing…" Josuke chuckled as he smiled down at the blonde. Issei on the other hand was annoyed, his eyebrow twitching as he grabbed Asia's wrist and pulled her back.

"I don't like that guys face. Try to stay away from him if you see him again, Asia." Issei told the former nun, pulling her away from the house gate.

"H-he doesn't seem so bad." Asia suggested meekly but did as Issei motioned for her. The brunette took one last look at the punk's back in anger but saw something shine in the window. It suddenly shot forward and headed for Asia. Acting on instinct, Issei quickly pushed the blonde to the side and felt a sharp pain racked his body, not only from the pierce but as if he had been hit by a holy weapon, similar to when he was shot in the legs by Freed. He cried out in pain, slowly looking back to see that he had an arrow sticking out of his shoulder. "What the hell…?"

" **Issei**!" Josuke and Asia cried out in fear, both quickly to his side. The punk widened his eyes in shock as he looked back at the three before shifting his gaze upward toward a second story window.

"Big bro?!" the teen shouted in question, confused by his sudden move to shoot one of the kids up front.

"If you're wondering why I shot the arrow at the girl," The man spoke, his voice stern and serious, "it's because that one there is Josuke Higashikata, the one who defeated Angelo. The other boy is a Devil who assisted him in doing so. I was also curious about what would happen when a Devil was struck by the arrow. It would appear that Myrcella was telling the truth. His body didn't react the same way a new Stand user would."

"What did you just say?" Josuke muttered in shock, quickly pulling the arrow from Issei's shoulder and healing him with his Stand.

"What the hell is that? It felt like I was burning inside…" Issei groaned, the pain disappearing as **Crazy Diamond** healed his wound. The two inspected the arrow to find it with an antique design. The shaft was rather old and wooden, but the arrow head was peculiar, a design of gold etched in the middle shaped in a heart with a shining edge. _Could this be the arrow Jotaro-san is looking for?_ Josuke mused, his eyes widening as he inspected it.

"Oh ho, so that's him, huh?" The punk scoffed, looking back at the tallest teen of the three, a blue aura surrounding him as he took an aggressive step forward.

"How did you know about Angelo? Are you guys Devils?" Josuke demanded angrily, clenching his teeth.

"Okuyasu. Make those three disappear." The man from the window ordered, causing the trio's eyes to widen as they realized that they were truly face to face with enemies. "Those three have found us, so now we have to get rid of them as to make sure none of their friends find us either."

"You got-," The boy, now known as Okuyasu, started before meeting eyes with Asia, who looked rather scared and vulnerable. He hesitated, not moving from his spot at first.

"Is something wrong?" The man in the window asked, the outline of his body crossing its arms.

"U-uh, nothing, it's just…" Okuyasu glanced back up at his brother before pointing at the blonde. "I don't mind gettin' rid of the guys big bro, but I don't know how I feel about gettin' rid of the girl. I'd feel kinda-" Suddenly some sort of tin box hit Okuyasu in the face as a new, much smaller figure appeared in the window.

"Who cares if it's some girl?! Just hurry up and get rid of her, servant! Do as you're told!" The new figure said, obviously a girl around their age despite her small image as she too was covered in darkness.

"Shit, there are more people inside?" Josuke muttered as he glanced at Asia and Issei, trying to devise a plan on how to handle the situation. They could try calling for help, but their enemy would most likely act faster if they tried. _Maybe Asia can get out of here while we fight…_ He mused as he looked down at the arrow.

"O-oi, Elmy-chan! You didn't have to do that you know?!" Okuyasu complained, rubbing his nose where he was nail with the box.

"I've told you to call me master!" The rather high pitched voice retorted in anger. "Now hurry up and get rid of them! Looking at that girl is pissing me off!"

"A-alright, alright! Fine! Just stop callin' me your servant already!" Okuyasu complained sourly before turning back to the three and glaring. "Guess I've got no choice…"

"I-Issei-san…" Asia muttered fearfully, the brunette pushing her behind him.

"Just stay behind me, Asia. I won't let this bastard near you." Issei growled, holding out his arm and summoning his Sacred Gear. " **Boosted Gear**!" A green light flashed over his forearm before revealing his crimson bracer.

"I've got a better idea." Josuke declared, turning their attention to him. He held the arrow out to Asia, who took it in confusion. "Asia, get out of here as fast as you can. Don't stop running and head for the school. Get Jotaro-san and the prez to come. We'll stay here and keep them busy." he declared, turning his gaze to Okuyasu and watching him closely.

"B-but I don't want to leave you guys alone to fight!" Asia proclaimed shaking her head. "I want to help you both as much as I-" Josuke placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a stern look.

"Getting out of here **is** the best way you can help us, Asia!" Josuke assured her, causing the blonde to pause. "You can't fight, but you can get us back up. That's the best way you can help us right now. So please, go!" He ordered. Asia hesitated for a moment, turning to Issei to see his response on the matter, but he was still focused forward at Okuyasu.

"He's right, Asia." Issei spoke without looking at her. "Don't worry about us! You know we're strong!" He told her confidently, giving a side smile.

"I'll see about that." Okuyasu scoffed as he took another step closer. Asia wordlessly looked at her companions before closing her eyes tightly and nodding.

"Please be safe, you two!" She shouted before turning around and running as fast as her meek legs would carry her.

"Hm. Smart move on their part, but not good enough." The older brother spoke before snapping his fingers. "Elmenhilde. Retrieve the girl and the arrow."

"Don't order me around, Keicho Nijimura." Elmy retorted in annoyance but took a step forward to the window, a small umbrella blocking the sun from her skin. Suddenly an array of bats shout out from the shadows, enough to blot the sun as they traveled overhead of Josuke and Issei.

"Wh-what the hell is that?!" Issei cried out in shock, looking back and forth from the window to the bats above him.

"Is that chick actually a Devil? I didn't see a magic circle at all…" Josuke muttered in question before looking over his shoulder toward Asia. "Shit, Asia look out!"

"Eh?" Asia mumbled before the bats surrounded her, causing the former nun to cry out in fear. From the flock of bats, a hand reached out and wrapped around Asia's neck and held her cheek before carrying her into the air and back to the house.

" **Asia**!" Issei and Josuke cried out in fear. As the bats retreated back into the window, Elmenhilde's body reformed with an unconscious Asia in her arms, the gothic loli smirking in triumph.

"Looks like I've acquired a new snack for myself~!" She giggled, her teeth barely touching the blonde's neck in mockery of the two boys. "And don't dare to call me a Devil. I am a pure blooded vampire."

"A vampire? You mean like the one Jotaro-san fought?" Issei mumbled as sweat ran down his brow.

"If you two try and call for help, she's dead. Try and take her back if you want." The man now identified as Keicho scoffed as he leaned against the frame of the window. "Now, Okuyasu. Hurry up and get rid of them."

"With the girl outta the way, no problem." Okuyasu chuckled as he took his hands out of his pockets.

"Get out of the way! We're taking our friend back!" Josuke growled as he and Issei got ready to charge the punk teen.

"No way." Okuyasu declared before suddenly a large figure erupted from his body, it's form muscular with blue and white coloring across it's body. It's attire was similar to football pads, though it has several spikes jutting from them. A towel-like object drapes over its shoulders, with a dollar symbol on one end and a yen symbol on the other. On each side of the Stand's face are blinders that cover its headlight-shaped eyes and limit its vision. On its right hand is a spider web outline. "I, Okuyasu Nijimura, will erase you both right here and now with my Stand **The Hand**!"

"Wh-what the hell?! A Stand user?" Issei muttered, hesitating as he looked at the figure. Josuke took a step forward, holding a hand out.

"Let me fight him, then. We don't know what kind of powers his Stand has." Josuke told him, narrowing his eyes carefully. Okuyasu only smirked, moving forward toward the two.

"Let's go!" The punk growled out, **The Hand** moving forward with it's right arm raised and a dark blue aura surrounding it as it made to swing at the two. Josuke didn't move, only allowing **Crazy Diamond** to appear. **DORA!** It roared as it landed a quick punch into the adversary Stand's jaw, causing Okuyasu to take the damage as well, blood spilling out of his mouth.

"If you don't move, I'm seriously going to mess up your face." Josuke warned him, preparing to strike again with his Stand if need be.

"I want a shot at him too for earlier…" Issei huffed, rolling his shoulder that was shot with the arrow. Okuyasu was still for a moment before rolling his jaw and spitting out some blood and turning to the two with a grin.

"You're pretty fast." Okuyasu chuckled, wiping his chin of blood, before turning his gaze to Issei. "But I doubt you are as much."

"Quit your blabbering and get out of the way!" Issei growled, far less inclined to play it cool as Josuke was currently. "I don't care if you have a Stand too, you're not half the man that Josuke is!"

"You sure know how to spout on, bastard." Okuyasu snarled, preparing his Stand for another attempt.

"Okuyasu." The punk stopped as he heard his brother call out his name, glancing back up at the window. "Using a Stand is the same as driving a car or a motorcycle. It doesn't matter what kind of monster you're driving if the driver is a dipshit with no skills or guts and maneuvers like crap when pressured."

"Come on, big bro. Don't say things that'll piss me off." Okuyasu complained, his attention purely on his brother now. Josuke raised a brow before glancing at Issei and motioning forward silently. "His Stand is a lot faster than I thought. And I don't know much about the Devil either."

"We're not playing around here, Okuyasu!" Keicho proclaimed firmly, pointing at his younger brother. "The Stand you possess, **The Hand** , is one of the most dangerous I've ever seen. It even gives me chills thinking about it. Be serious when you're using it. We don't need the Devils living in this town to know about our presence. We can't afford to let any of them leave alive."

"Hurry up and pay attention to your enemy as well, servant." Elmenhilde added with a scoff. "They aren't going to wait for you to finish talking after all."

"I got-what?" Okuyasu grunted before looking back where Josuke and Issei were previously standing. He quickly found the sidewalk empty, snapping his head back to see the two already walking toward the house. "H-hey! I was busy talkin'! That's not fair!" He complained, earning a sideways look from Josuke.

"You're pretty dumb, aren't you?" Josuke asked lamely, making the fellow Stand user recoil in shock.

"Wh-why? Why do you say-" Okuyasu started to question. That is until Issei struck him with his armored fist.

"We told you to get out of the way." Issei growled, watching as the punk was sent flying past the gate before looking back at Josuke. "He might be tough, but we need to move."

"Yeah, let's-" Josuke's eyes widened in surprise when he saw Okuyasu quickly push himself up to his feet, wiping more blood from his mouth.

"You bastard…" The punk hissed, sprinting forward to intercept the two. "I'll make you pay for that!"

"You just won't stay out of the damn way! I'm starting to get seriously pissed off!" Josuke growled as he stepped in front of Issei to meet the Stand user this time, **Crazy Diamond** appearing before him.

"Then go ahead and take your best shot if you can, bastard!" Okuyasu challenged gruffly, **The Hand** taking shape as well and reaching forward with its right arm, open handed. Josuke's Stand launched a punch forward to meet it, but instinct seemed to tell Josuke of some danger.

 _He's too confident in his right hand._ He suddenly thought, **Crazy Diamond** diverting its movements and catching the opposing Stand's arm before it could make contact, his Stand's superior speed helping to keep from touching it directly. _This isn't good. I've got a really bad feeling about that right hand of his…_

"Josuke!" Issei cried out in fear, unsure of what had happened or why he had stopped. Okuyasu grinded his teeth in frustration as **The Hand** was unable to break free from **Crazy Diamond's** grip.

"Let go of my right hand, you little shit!" Okuyasu snapped as he finally used his Stand to throw a knee into Josuke's own, making him gasp in pain but keep a firm hold on his arm. "Fine, I'll make you let go!"

"It really is his right hand…" Josuke muttered as he prepared to take several more hits as best he could. **The Hand** struck him with a left hook, causing him to snap his right eye closed from pain for a moment. He was about to lash out with another strike again until the punk let out a pained grunt.

 **Boost! Boost!** The bracer on Issei's arm proclaimed as Issei struck Okuyasu's side. "Don't forget about me, asshole!"

"You son of a-" Okuyasu groaned before Issei reeled back for another strike. He attempted to move his Stand to meet the brunette, but realized that **Crazy Diamond** still kept a firm grip on his arm, rendering him defenseless for just a moment. That moment was enough to land a solid hit.

"Take this!" **Boost!** Issei landed a shattering blow to the punk's stomach, causing him to nearly gag from the pain before being launched back across the street, hitting a brick wall that shielded another yard.

"Okuyasu!" Elmenhilde cried out in shock, Keicho on the other hand huffing in disappointment as he watched the spectacle below him. He turned away from the window and headed further into the house while Josuke and Issei took a moment to catch their breaths, the boosting now taking a toll on the brunette.

"He should be out now. Good job on that hit, Issei." Josuke complimented, giving a small smirk in appreciation.

"Hey man, we're a team." Issei chuckled with strain, giving a large grin. "We can beat anybody together." He looked back toward the house, wiping some sweat off his brow. "But it's not over yet. We've still got two enemies inside to deal with."

"Yeah…" Josuke agreed, taking a deep breath before standing up at full height and nodding. He took a step forward, ready to try and enter the home.

"You bastards… double teamin' me…" The two stopped in astonishment, glancing back to see Okuyasu holding his stomach in pain, but staggering up to his feet. "I'll make you both pay for that one…"

"What the hell? How tough is this guy?!" Issei growled in annoyance, taking a fighting stance but inwardly cursing as he knew he needed some time to recharge his **Boosted Gear**. Josuke seemed to sense this, taking the lead to finish off Okuyasu this time. _Asia… just give us a little longer. We'll save you no matter what._

* * *

"You're not going out there to help him?" Elmenhilde growled in irritation as she spoke to the elder Nijimura brother.

"Of course not." Keicho easily brushed off, carrying Asia's unconscious body in his arms before placing her on the ground at the center of the downstairs entrance. "If that moron is too dumb to use one of the most powerful Stands I've ever seen, that's his fault. Besides, I have a far superior tactical advantage in this house than out there."

"He's your brother." Elmenhilde spoke with an edge in her voice, placing her hands on her hips. "Even we vampires value our siblings above petty quarrels like this, even if one of us is dumb."

"This isn't a quarrel between Okuyasu and I." Keicho retorted evenly, glancing at Elmenhilde before crossing his arms. "This is about him growing as a person. If he's too damn stupid to grow by himself, then he doesn't deserve to be here."

"You are much colder than I had originally thought, Keicho Nijimura." The loli vampire declared, narrowing her red slitted eyes at him. "You truly have given up your soul for this goal, haven't you?"

Keicho stopped in his tracks before glancing back at Elmenhilde with a blank expression, though his eyes conveyed some of it's own tiredness. "My soul had to be the first thing I gave up."

* * *

"You two never found out what my Stand could do…" Okuyasu coughed a bit before standing up straight. **The Hand** materialized at his side, it's right arm raised up. "So let me show you… the power of the Stand even my brother fears!"

"Issei, stay back. Save your energy for when we're inside." Josuke ordered the brunette, knowing he could expel more energy at once than Issei could. **Crazy Diamond** wasn't quite as limited as his Sacred Gear.

"It won't matter where he goes. He can't escape the power of my Stand." The punk declared darkly as his Stand's hand started to form a dark blue aura. "It's right hand scrapes away anythin' it touches. No matter what it is."

"Scrapes away?" Issei repeated in confusion, feeling a sense of dread similar to what Josuke felt earlier when Okuyasu first attacked.

"That's right. It can be from somethin' as simple as that sign over there…" Okuyasu said, motioning to the 'No Trespassing' sign on the open gate. "... To the space between us. And when the space between us is erased…" He then turned his gaze to Issei and grinned darkly. **The Hand** swiped in an arc, a transparent trail left behind. "It closes the gap with whatever's around it."

"What…?" Issei muttered before suddenly feeling something pull on him. In an instant, he found himself no longer next to Josuke, but standing directly in front of Okuyasu. "No way…" He muttered as he felt great fear of the Stand's very frightening power.

"Now die, Devil!" Okuyasu growled as he prepared to swipe Issei with **The Hand's** power this time. Issei didn't have any time to react, the Stand's speed far above his own. Thankfully though, Josuke had already started to dash forward to intercept the enemy Stand, **Crazy Diamond** catching its arm before it could erase the lone Devil among them.

"Don't think you can just pick us off, dumbass…" Josuke growled through grinded teeth as he felt the pressure of Okuyasu's Stand trying to rip from his grip.

"Josuke Higashikata. I shoulda erased you first." Okuyasu retorted. Issei clicked his tongue, standing up and preparing to lash out with his crimson bracer. Okuyasu didn't remain ignorant to his presence this time, though, **The Hand** quickly backhanding Issei away from the two with its free arm. "Get outta the way so I can take one of ya' out!"

 _Shit, this Stand's power is unbelievable…_ Josuke internally cursed as he tried to formulate a plan in his head. _**Crazy Diamond**_ _can't fix something that has been erased. If Issei gets hit by it, there's no repairing him. I have to end this now…_ He glanced around at his surroundings, hoping to find something that could be used to attack. He could chance it and do a fist rush like he usually might, but if **The Hand** caught him once, even if by accident, he'd be in major trouble.

Before Josuke thought more on the matter, something caught his eye in the wall behind him. While it seemed sturdy enough, there were several bricks sticking out of it rather loosely. His eyes widened in realization, remembering what just one swipe could do. _Alright, that just might work!_

"Oi, quit your daydreamin' asshole! And let go of my arm!" Okuyasu hissed as his right hand remained open, apparently ready to erase Josuke at a moment's notice.

"You want me to let go?" Josuke suddenly asked before having **Crazy Diamond** quickly release the opposing Stand's arm. "Fine!"

"You moron! Die!" Okuyasu cackled, **The Hand** swiping down but narrowly missing Josuke with it. "You're dead now that you've let me go! Get ready to-"

"You really are stupid, huh?" Josuke sighed as he shoved his hands into his pockets, actually causing Okuyasu to pause in confusion.

"Wh-why?" The punk couldn't help but ask before he realized something was flying at him from the wall. Before he knew it, a brick landed square between his eyes, knocking him back and causing him to stagger, his leg high up in the air. As if that wasn't enough to knock him out, another brick flew forward and right into his crotch, dealing the final blow of the fight. Okuyasu passed out from the pain, landing on his back and sprawled out in pain. Josuke released a deep breath as he walked over to Issei, who had picked himself up after the blow and was nursing his bruised chin.

"Man, that truly was a terrifying and great Stand." Josuke stated as the two looked back at their fallen foe. "Okuyasu Nijimura, huh? It'll be trouble if you wake up again and attack us." The tall teen kneeled down and put his hands around the punk's throat.

"Wh-whoa, Josuke! What are you doing?!" Issei stuttered in surprise, thinking it rather dark of his friend to finish off someone that way.

"Relax. I'm just going to strangle him a bit so that he passes out and doesn't try anything." Josuke explained. "Plus it'll put the shame of defeat in his soul. One, two-" He started to countdown before he was interrupted by a loud scream of terror, causing both Issei and Josuke to sweat in fear.

" **Asia!** " Issei panicked, turning away from Josuke and rushing toward the run down house.

"Wait, don't just rush in!" Josuke warned him before clicking his tongue, standing up and rushing after his best friend in hopes to make sure he didn't do anything brashly. Issei reached the front door first, swinging it open and preparing to step in but stopped at the door as he saw a figure ahead of the two.

On the ground, Asia lay unconscious. Stooping over her rather menacingly, a tall teen crouched. From this point of view they couldn't tell, but the boy was about as tall as Josuke, standing at six foot. He had tall yellow blond hair that was cut up to a flat top style, with a long braid stretching out from the back. His face had sharp features, his brow rests in a serious, directed expression. His clothes were rather similar to his brother; a double-breasted school uniform, the collar of which appears to read "BADC O.". His right shoulder is printed a Japanese character, and his left reads "TRILLION" between his shoulder and elbow. He also wears two sagging belts over wide-legged pants.

"So you finally made it past Okuyasu, then? Hmph." Keicho scoffed, standing at full length and crossing his arms. "At least he was able to do something to delay you. But he's still just too stupid."

"Hand Asia over, asshole!" Issei barked in anger, gripping his bracer. "She's not a threat to you!"

"Oh, but she is." Keicho retorted, glancing down at the blond. "She may not be a direct threat, but if she were to bring the rest of your Devil friends here, it would be a problem. Which is why I will have to eliminate all three of you here and now." He then pointed down at Asia with a dark grin. "Starting with her."

" **You bastard**!" Issei growled before dashing forward. Josuke felt a bit of sweat trail down his brow in fear of the obvious trap before them, but it was too late now. He dashed in right after Issei, hoping that he could catch whatever the older Nijimura brother was plotting.

"B-big bro…" A weak voice rasped out from the door behind them, Josuke blinking as he realized Okuyasu had followed them in. The punk teen was leaning against the door frame, holding his chest in pain and breathing heavily. "D-don't attack yet… I'm not done fighting them…"

 _Attack?_ Josuke mentally grimaced, hoping he could see what exactly Okuyasu had mentioned. Above Keicho, in the darkness of the hall, a bunch of small dots shined out. "Issei, move!" Josuke warned, grabbing the brunette by the shirt and pulling him quickly to the side to avoid the attack. As expected, something shot out from the shadows, the tall teen turning to see what they hit. Much to his surprise, he found Okuyasu standing not too far behind where they were, now taking the attack instead of them.

"Wh-what the hell?" Issei muttered as he watched Okuyasu become dotted across the chest and up his face with tiny holes, blood erupting from each one. The punk teen stood still for a moment before finally falling backwards, landing with a thud on the ground.

"Okuyasu…" Josuke mumbled in confusion, almost fear as he looked at the fallen punk's wounds.

"Your stupidity never ceases to amaze me." Keicho sighed, shaking his head apathetically. "If you had just stayed back and let the two enter, I'm sure I would have hit at least the Devil with **Bad Company's** attack. You even walked right into its line of fire."

"B-big… bro…?" Okuyasu weakly muttered, his eyes wide in pain and confusion.

"Your Stand, **The Hand** , is truly terrifying. But you're completely incompetent." Keicho further criticized as he made no move to even try and help his brother. "I told you over and over, since we were kids, that those who fail grow and remain incompetent will only drag down those around them, didn't I? Only people who continue to grow have the right to live, remember?"

"How the hell could you say that about your own brother?!" Issei growled in anger, suddenly showing concern for the punk on the ground. "Even if he is a dumbass, he's been nothing but loyal to you! Just seeing how he fought so hard outside and even tried to charge us again shows that much!"

"Loyalty like that only matters when it comes from competent people." Keicho countered without missing a beat, looking up at Issei with an emotionless glare. "Ever since old times during war, from standard knights to foot soldiers, those with the inability to think and grow have always been nothing but fodder. That's the fate that awaits someone like Okuyasu." Suddenly the same blinking lights from behind Keicho started to shine again, this time seemingly more across the darkness. "It's only natural for fools like that to die!"

"It's coming again! Move!" Josuke shouted as he did a rather impressive cartwheel out of the line of fire, with Issei moving in the opposite direction toward the wall and holding his bracer up in defense. The attack narrowly missed the two, turning a vase that was where they once were into swiss cheese before it shattered into pieces from the impact.

"It left a ton of holes again!" Josuke proclaimed as sweat dripped down his brow, looking back at Keicho as he expected the next attack. "What kind of attack is that?" No sooner after he said that did the now familiar twinkle shine behind the older Nijimura brother. "Issei! Make us an exit!"

"R-right!" Issei nodded before turning to the wall with his arm cocked backwards and striking it with his Devil enhanced strength, breaking it down without problem. "Let's go!"

"Got it!" Josuke quickly reached for Okuyasu without a second thought, grinding his teeth as he saw the line of fire. "You bastard! Are you trying to kill your brother too?!" He snarled before he felt the small impacts pierce his hand, causing him to stifle a grunt of pain. He didn't let go of Okuyasu's shirt despite this, continuing to pull the punk out along with him as he jumped through the hole Issei made, quickly repairing the wall with **Crazy Diamond** to cover their escape. The two landed roughly on the dirt surrounding the house, flinching when the wall that was fixed was pierced by the holes that Keicho's Stand attack made.

Keicho narrowed his eyes analytically, scoffing as he turned around and picked up Asia's unconscious body again and carried it up the stairs. "It seems I'll have to make another plan since Okuyasu messed things up once again." He conclude with no sign of remorse for his actions. As he walked up the steps, a fog started to fill the air, causing him to raise a brow. "Hm?"

"Keicho, you bastard…" the low feminine voice of Elmenhilde hissed in anger, the older Nijimura brother looking up to see the vampire standing atop the stairs and glaring down at him with crimson red slitted eyes filled with fury. "You nearly killed Okuyasu. He'll most likely die if nothing's done."

"That's right. He got in the way." Keicho replied evenly, narrowing his eyes at Elmenhilde. "I already explained this to the Devil and Josuke Higashikata. His incompetence will be his death."

"I was planning to turn him into my servant once this was over." Elmenhilde growled lowly, gripping her fist as she made little effort to hide her anger. "How do you expect me to do that if he's dead?"

"If it means that much to you, ask Myrcella to bring him back to life." Keicho actually chuckled, a cruel tone in his voice. "What happens to him is no longer my concern. I stopped thinking of him as my brother a long time ago."

"Your attitude is truly infuriating." Elmenhilde giggled almost madly, a dark smirk etching into her mouth. "Perhaps I'll save them the trouble and kill you myself."

"Are you so sure about that?" Keicho almost taunted, holding a finger up and pointing at the loli vampire knowingly. "Your job since you arrived is to protect me and the Bow and Arrow. Myrcella wouldn't be very pleased."

Elmenhilde actually hesitated at this, grinding her teeth in frustration. She knew Myrcella's plan to terminate things with Keicho soon, but as it stood even if she killed the man now, she would end up having to deal with both Issei and Josuke alone to protect the holy items. _I still have no clue how strong either of them truly are, especially if they beat Okuyasu without much damage._

Darkness covered her brow, the vampire stepping aside to let Keicho past her. "I look forward to the day I'll be free to drain your body entirely of blood."

"I look forward to seeing you try." Keicho chuckled triumphantly, moving past Elmenhilde without another word and heading to one of the rooms. The loli vampire glared daggers into his back before looking back to the door leading outside. _Okuyasu… you fool… being so loyal to such a horrible man._

* * *

"Damn it, that was close." Issei huffed tiredly, glancing at Josuke who stooped over Okuyasu's injured form. "Did you get a good look at his Stand? Or at least his power?"

"No, I didn't. It was still hidden in the darkness." Josuke sighed before glaring down at the younger Nijimura brother and grabbing his collar, pulling him face to face. "But we at least have someone who knows. Alright, Okuyasu. Tell us the secret to your brother's Stand and I'll heal you up."

"L-like I'd tell you… dumbass…" Okuyasu defiantly muttered in pain, his eyes void of color as they were starting to fade of any sight.

"Damn it, Okuyasu! How can you still be loyal to that asshole after what he did?!" Issei growled in frustration, leaning down and grabbing the punk's shirt this time.

"H-he's still my… brother…" Okuyasu weakly mumbled, his consciousness and life fading away slowly. Issei, despite himself, frowned in sympathy, seeing that even to the end this guy was remaining loyal. He admired his drive, even if he was a fool and their enemy.

"I guess I don't have a choice then." Josuke sighed before dropping Okuyasu back to the ground and summoning **Crazy Diamond**. "If you're not gonna talk I'll just have to do this!" He proclaimed as his Stand came down with it's hand in a chopping motion, the fallen Stand user preparing for death. Despite this, it didn't come as the hand stopped over his face, it's palm facing down and shining with a golden aura. Suddenly the pain left Okuyasu, and his wounds disappeared as **Crazy Diamond** withdrew its hand from him. The punk blinked in shock, feeling no danger of his life or consciousness. He sat up as Josuke left his side with Issei, who glanced at the brunette.

"Listen, Issei. Since Okuyasu didn't tell us anything, you're going to have to be our eyes in there since you can basically see in the dark. But remember to keep your other senses up to the fullest, and I'll do the same." Josuke declared in planning.

"You've got it. I'll do my best to spot it this time." Issei agreed before moving to the door and peeking inside. Josuke glanced back at Okuyasu with a stern glare.

"We're going back inside for our friend. So do us a favor and don't get in our way now, Okuyasu." He told the punk before turning his back and joining Issei at the door. The younger Nijimura brother tried to find words to say, but couldn't speak as he held his once injured face in confusion as he tried to figure out what had just happened.

"Anything?" Josuke asked as he approached, only for Issei to turn back with a grim expression and shaking his head.

"Not a thing. But it's worse now. Take a look." The brunette told him, Josuke doing as expected and looking inside only for his eyes to widen in shock. It was still rather dark inside the beat down house, but now the air was filled with some kind of fog, making it twice as hard to see inside than before. "I don't know what caused this, but it's probably part of Okuyasu's brother's Stand. I can still see somewhat, but not nearly as easy as it would have been before."

"Shit, this just keeps getting worse…" Josuke cursed before sighing. He pulled out a white hankerchief from his pocket, wrapping it around his bloodied hand. "We'll have to use every single amount of our senses and focus to navigate through this place while watching out for an attack."

"Alright. Ready?" Issei asked, the taller teen nodding as they mentally prepared to enter the death trap that lay before them. "Alright then. One… two… thre-"

"Wait a minute!" Okuyasu's voice interrupted them, causing them to turn back to see the punk climbing the porch behind them and glaring at the two with wide eyes and confusion. "Why did you assholes heal me?"

"Huh?" Josuke grunted in wonder before waving his hand dismissively. "Save that kind of question for later. We're busy."

"Just because you healed me doesn't mean I'm not your enemy!" Okuyasu declared gruffly, pointing at Josuke in particular. "I could attack you at any time!"

"We don't have time for this! Hurry up and stay out of our way!" Issei growled, half wanting to step back up against the punk again but glancing desperately inside in fear, worry for Asia deepening as time went by.

"You want a piece of me?" Josuke asked, his brow narrowed as he prepared for what might be another fight.

"That depends on your answer!" Okuyasu barked, gnashing his teeth now. "Now why did you save me?! I'm not very smart, so you'll have to explain it to me!" He then pointed at Josuke's hand to further his point. "You even got injured doin' it! That happened when you were pullin' me out, right?! I wanna know why you went through all that just to save me!"

Josuke turned away from Okuyasu to look back inside the house, a brisk silence falling between the three. Issei already knew the answer, glancing at Josuke expectantly as he wanted to two to move on now. "There's no deep reason. 'There's no reason he has to die' is what I thought back there." The tall teen explained, causing the punk to flinch in shock. Without a word, Josuke nodded at Issei, confirming that he was ready to go. Without regarding Okuyasu again, Issei moved inside the dark, foggy home. The Devil's eyes shined dark red with energy, his eyesight doing rather well even in this fog. "Come on. Nothing so far." He stated before slowly moving forward.

"Keep an eye out for anything. It could be a lot smaller than **Crazy Diamond** , maybe even **Aqua Necklace**." Josuke warned as he trailed close behind his best friend. As the two moved forward, they couldn't shake the sense of apprehension around them, the dark feeling that someone was watching them close by. They reached the stairs of the home, glancing between the doors on their level and the second floor above them. In the corner of his eye, Issei caught sight of a small piece of fabric, reaching out and grabbing it from the railing of the stairs.

"Hey! This is part of Asia's skirt!" Issei announced, showing it to Josuke and glancing back up the stairs. "I think she's upstairs, but it could be to lure us away."

"Here, let me see." Josuke said, taking the cloth and touching it with his Stand. A pinkish aura surrounded it, flying out of his hand and floating up the stairs away from them. "Yeah, she's definitely up there. Let's go."

"Wait a sec! I still have questions!" The two heard Okuyasu from behind them, causing Josuke to click his tongue while Issei groaned in aggravation.

"Look, we don't have time to answer dumb questions! Leave us alone!" Issei growled in annoyance.

"Yeah! Just let us save Asia already! I'm begging-" Josuke started before the punk interrupted him.

"But why Josuke!" He shouted, causing the tallest teen to raise a brow. "I wanna know why you haven't healed your own wounds! I saw you do it for him after he got hit by the arrow and you healed my wounds! Why don't you heal yourself too?"

Josuke sighed before looking up at Okuyasu with stern eyes. "I can't heal myself. It just means that life isn't that easy." He then took a step forward toward Okuyasu and pointed. "And more importantly, I can't heal someone that's already dead. So know that if your brother does something to Asia that we can't be held accountable for what we do to him for it. Or his vampire friend up there." Okuyasu was quiet, only let biting his bottom lip as he tried to fully process the pompadour spotting teen's words.

"If you understand, then let us go." Issei urged this time. "We have no idea what your brother has planned but we have no choice but to chance it. So give us a break." The punk looked at the brunette this time but didn't say anything once again. The two took this as confirmation that he was satisfied somewhat with their answers, returning to their main objective and heading up the stairs. The fog seemed to become a bit thicker, making it much harder for Josuke to see what was in front of him, though Issei had little trouble with it.

"See her anywhere?" Josuke asked as he he pondered on the source of the fog. Issei let out a vocal gulp and nodded, though Josuke could barely see it.

"She's inside the room in front of us. She's at the center. I can see her breathing, but she's unconscious." Issei explained in detail, a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek.

"Shit, it's such an obvious trap." Josuke cursed, gripping his hand before looking at Issei for confirmation. They nodded at one another and prepared to dash in. "Even knowing that, we'll go in no matter what!" As the two started to dash forward, an ethereal arm wrapped around both of their necks, holding them back. The two grinded their teeth in fear, looking back to see **The Hand** hovering over them with it's right arm raised.

"Sh-shit!" Issei hissed in fear, struggling against the Stand's grip.

"You still wanna fight?!" Josuke growled out, unsure if he could call out **Crazy Diamond** in time to stop the attack.

"Put a lid on it you two!" Okuyasu barked, his Stand swiping down. The two were not expecting, however, for **The Hand** to swipe past them, creating an arc of empty space before them, only to be replaced by Asia, who now lie in front of them. The Stand released the two and Okuyasu turned his back to them.

"N-no way… he brought her to us…" Issei muttered in shock before grinning broadly and turning back to Okuyasu as he picked her up in his arms. "Th-thank you!"

"Don't bother, I'm just paying back my debt." Okuyasu declared, looking back at the brunette. "I'm not very smart, so I just act on what my heart tells me. I won't attack you guys and I won't help my brother fight you. The rest is up to you to do. That's it for me." He declared before turning back to the stairs and starting to walk down.

Josuke watched him as he left and gave a small smile of his own before sighing. "That's just great, Okuyasu." He chuckled before glancing at Asia. She didn't have any visible damage, and was most likely struck over the head by either Keicho or the vampire. Suddenly an idea occurred to him, turning back to the retreating punk. "Actually, Okuyasu, I have one favor to ask."

Issei and Okuyasu paused, both looking to the JoJo in question. "What is it? I'm not gonna fight for you either…"

"It's not that. I want you to take Asia out of here." Josuke declared, causing Issei to grunt in disapproval.

"W-wait a sec! He may not be a bad guy, but what if he's a pervert!" Issei exclaimed desperately, causing Okuyasu to flinch.

"O-oi! Just because I'm a punk doesn't mean I'm a pervy asshole!" Okuyasu argued in annoyance. "What makes you think that?!"

"It's because Issei's a perv, he assumes most guys are too." Josuke pointed out, causing the brunette to fall forward in exasperation. "But I don't think you're that kind of guy. I'm also really worried that Asia will only get hurt if she sticks around while we're fighting, so please just-" Josuke stopped as a flock of bats flew past their heads from the darkness, causing them to subconsciously cover their heads in defense. "Shit, those two are starting to attack now!" He looked back at Okuyasu through his arms. "You have to decide now! Are you gonna take her out of here or not?!"

Okuyasu gulped for a moment before grunting in aggravation. "Damn it, stop makin' me think too hard on this!" He shouted, reaching forward and scooping Asia up from between the best friends. "I'll take her out of here then!"

"Don't lay a hand on her otherwise!" Issei barked as he watched the two retreat down the stairs, glancing back up at the bats again. He was surprised to see that they veered off from Okuyasu, apparently allowing him to leave without much trouble. "At least he made it out…"

"Now we've just gotta worry about ourselves." Josuke sighed as he reached inside his pocket, grabbing his lighter and pulling it out. "But shit, there's so many of them…"

"That damned fool Okuyasu. Intervening and forcing me to change my plans." Josuke and Issei heard Keicho's voice echo from above them among the bats. "Now I'll have to devise a plan to later catch and kill the girl. But either way, neither of you will be leaving this house!"

The same flash of light from before in the living room flashed above them among the bats, causing Josuke and Issei to widen their eyes in fear. Within the next second, a small rain of energy showered down on the two. Josuke had summoned his Stand to block and Issei raised up his crimson bracer, but the two were riddled in their shoulders and parts of their arms with the attack.

"Sonuva-" Issei groaned in pain, gripping his gauntlet that shined with energy. **Boost!** He lashed out toward the bats, a green aura faintly shining around his fist as he launched a punch upwards. It created a small straight lined shockwave that took out a number of the bats.

 **DORARARA~!** Josuke's Stand cried out furiously as it also did a quick fist rush and taking out several more bats. Despite this, it didn't seem like they put much of a dent in the flock, Josuke grinding his teeth before turning to Issei. "Hey! Did you see what his Stand is?! I don't think it's the bats!"

"I-I couldn't see that well thanks to the fog, but I think I saw them!" Issei declared, keeping his arm up as he was ready for another attack. "I could make out some small bodies on top of the bats, but I couldn't make out the details."

"Shit. I guess that means killing one or two won't be enough to end this." Josuke cursed. He saw the same flash again, turning back toward one of the doors near them and busting it down with his shoulder. "Come on! We need to get out of the bat's area coverage!"

"Right!" Issei agreed, quickly following Josuke inside the room and slamming the door closed behind him. It mattered little, though, as it was quickly destroyed by the same attack from before. Issei took a small breath of relief as they were given somewhat of a moment to breath, looking around for their options.

"Shit, I still can't see anything right now." Josuke muttered in annoyance before a small light caught his eye. Across the room, several windows were boarded up with several cracks that let light shine through. "Hey, I'm gonna open those up for us! You might be able to see but I can't!" Josuke declared as he took several steps forward before stopping, a small humming sound coming from in front of him. From the fog, Josuke thought the bats had returned, only for his eyes to widen as he realized they were, in fact, helicopters. "What the hell?" He muttered, watching as they launched missiles at him. **Crazy Diamond** quickly appeared before him, destroying the barrage with a fist rush. **DORARARA!** It roared again as it dispatched of the attack. "Helicopters? What the hell is next?! Jets?"

"Tanks!" Issei cried out this time, pointing toward the floor. Josuke couldn't rightly see what Issei was talking about, but knew to trust the boy's superior eyesight. "A bunch of 'em! I'll cover us the best I can from this side!" Issei declared, his bracer glowing with power. **Boost!** What looked like a veil of green aura formed a transparent shield. Moments later, several explosions erupted from in front of the brunette, grinding his teeth in frustration as he did his best to hold his ground against the attack.

"Hold on just a sec!" Josuke told Issei, his Stand destroying some of the helicopters as they approached before reaching out and grabbing one of the helicopters. It quickly turned to the side and tossed the toy sized vehicle where he saw the vapor streams from the tanks. Issei dropped his shield just in time, allowing the helicopter to fly by easily enough and cause a small explosion on the ground. Issei and Josuke took a moment to catch their breath, the room falling silent as they were now apparently free from attack.

"What was that… shield back there?" Josuke asked between breaths, looking at Issei in question.

"You like it? During the whole Angelo thing, I asked president to help me train." Issei chuckled proudly, holding up his crimson bracer. "I can boost a bit more now and I can use my energy a bit better. Like you saw, I can even make a shield. Though it's not that strong."

"Seemed to work just great to me." Josuke smirked, a bit happy to see Issei had grown a bit since their last fight with the Fallen Angels. "Think you could do something about this fog with that?"

Issei blinked at that before grinning sheepishly. "Actually, I think I can…" He declared, tightening his armored fist before slamming it into the ground. It released a shockwave of green aura throughout the area. It was harmless to Josuke, but it was able to push the fog away and clear the room. His gauntlet also provided adequate light for Josuke to see. What they saw when the fog cleared though caused them to grimace.

There Keicho was leaning against the far wall of the room, a smug smirk on his face. Before him was a large army of tiny soldiers, all about the size of toys. They were in a standard military formation, their guns pointed at Josuke and Issei. They all wore green camouflage infantry uniforms, their faces inhuman and wrapped cloth with large red eyes beaming at them.

"What a shame. And here I thought I'd just blow you both away under the cover of the fog." Keicho confidently chuckled before glaring. "All units! Open fire!" He ordered like a true drill sergeant, the army obeying his orders immediately and unleashing hell.

"Move!" Josuke told the brunette, pushing him to the side to protect them both again. **DORARARARARA~! Crazy Diamond** shouted once more, deflecting the wave of Stand bullets with light speed punches. This kept on for a few moments before Keicho raised his arm.

"All units, cease fire!" He ordered again, and without hesitation the soldiers stopped, standing up straight and moving back into place. He never dropped his smug smile even after seeing Josuke deflect the attack. "Now you've seen what my Stand, **Bad Company** , is capable of. I command a platoon of soldiers and assault vehicles, all ready to attack at my command."

Josuke bit his bottom lip, glaring daggers at the older Stand user. "Was that supposed to scare us? I'm not impressed." He taunted, only for Keicho to chuckle confidently.

"It doesn't matter how you might view my **Bad Company** , Josuke Higashikata. For in the end you're going to be killed by it without trouble." The elder Nijimura brother declared, posing as he glanced down at his Stand below. "Just look at their perfect formation. It feels good to see them line up so perfectly. Though it pisses me off to see that a few are missing. You and your Devil friend dispatched of several."

"Please! Your Stand is lame as hell in comparison to Josuke's!" Issei proclaimed in annoyance, becoming more and more pissed off by Keicho's demeanor even in front of them like this.

"Please. A Devil who's barely seen any fights like you has no room to speak on the matter." Keicho retorted easily, unshaken by Issei's taunt. "After all, if you hadn't realized my Stand has a far superior effective range to Josuke Higashikata's, whose can barely reach over two meters or so."

"I didn't figure you for one to boast so much to your enemies, Keicho." A new feminine voice spoke, causing Josuke and Issei to glance at the door to see the loli vampire from before. "Only more reason to despise you."

"Says the vampire who likes to play with her food too much." Keicho shot back easily, placing his hands on his hips. "Now, shall we finish these two off now?"

"Fine. Let's get this over with." Elmenhilde sighed, her red irises shining dangerously.

"She's probably the one who can make that fog and summon the bats. Be careful." Josuke muttered quietly, turning to face off with Keicho while Issei did the same with the same with the vampire.

"You guys worked well hiding behind your powers so far. I'm surprised you decided to come out and face us like this." Issei exclaimed as he tried to conjure a plan to deal with Elmenhilde. He still didn't know the extent of her powers and how much of a threat she posed between her and Keicho.

"That's because it all ends here." Keicho declared proudly before pointing at his hair. "Josuke Higashikata. I hear that when someone says something insulting about your hair, you lose your temper."

Issei gulped as he was worried that Josuke might fly off the handle just from that, but was somewhat relieved to see that he was still in control, though no rage was hidden from his gaze. "Why don't you try insulting it just to try it out?" Josuke dared him, partly hoping the elder Nijimura brother would do so just to give him an excuse to attack him right here and now. Keicho, however, only chuckled before shaking his head.

"There's no need. For now I will declare that I'll separate you from your Devil friend and that I shall blow your limbs and head off with the power of **Bad Company** , while Elmenhilde will dispose of him herself." Keicho stated almost as if it were a foregone outcome.

"That's a pretty solid plan, honestly." Josuke sneered before smirking smugly this time. "If you disregard the fact that it'll never happen!"

"You humans are so full of yourselves." Elmenhilde scoffed, twirling the umbrella in her hands. "I truly grow tired of hearing you talk. Let's end this already."

Josuke and Issei suddenly felt a dark presence above them, looking up to see several of her bats hanging from the roof. They suddenly spread their wings, revealing the small soldiers of **Bad Company** on their bellies, aiming their guns directly down at the two.

"Shit!" Issei cursed as they opened fire, pushing off the ground opposite to Josuke, the taller teen doing the same, falling to the ground with a thud at the feet of Elmenhilde, while Josuke was closer to the window, trying to quickly regain his balance and stand up.

"Company! Forward march!" Keicho commanded with great authority, his Stand all moving in sync and heading toward Josuke, ignoring Issei who grinded his teeth.

"Hey! Don't forget about me-" Issei began before he felt a sharp pain in his side, looking down to find Elmenhilde's umbrella rammed directly into his side before sending him flying into the wall and busting it down, the brunette now lying in the next room. "That's my line, Devil." Elmenhilde huffed, stepping forward into the room and standing over Issei menacingly, the brunette grinding his teeth as he realized she was much stronger than she looked.

"Issei!" Josuke cried out in fear, wanting to rush to his aide. He was quickly cut off by Keicho and his army, who smirked at him darkly.

"Full company, halt!" Keicho ordered, his soldiers coming to a stop in front of their user. "Take aim!" The leading line of the soldiers took a forward knee, all of them taking collective aim at Josuke with their guns and tanks, the helicopters preparing their missiles.

"If you're gonna do enough to bring this whole place down, then so am I." Josuke growled, **Crazy Diamond** appearing before him with it's fists gripped. "Let's make this **great**."

" **Fire!** " Keicho ordered, the entirety of **Bad Company** firing all at once.

 **DORARARARA~!**

Issei pushed himself up, grinding his teeth as he glared at Elmenhilde. "Who the hell are you?! Why are you working with that bastard!"

"It doesn't matter who I am, only that I am your enemy." The loli vampire pointed out firmly, stabbing forward with her umbrella to strike Issei again. The brunette barely dodged in time, gulping as he didn't want to be struck by her again. "To be honest, I hate Keicho Nijimura. And I feel somewhat grateful to you and the human for saving Okuyasu."

"Y-you do?" Issei stuttered in surprise, only to barely block a strike from Elmy again by raising his crimson bracer. "I-it sure doesn't feel like it…"

"Despite how I may feel, I still owe it to Myrcella to protect the Bow and Arrow at all costs." Elmenhilde declared as she recoiled her umbrella for another strike. "So I shall repay what you did by giving you a quick death."

"That's a horrible way to repay us!" Issei complained with a groan as he dodged another strike from the vampire. _Guess I don't have a choice…_ **Boost!** His Sacred Gear spoke, attempting to charge his power up. He had spent quite a bit in their fight against Okuyasu though, and his boosting was already at it's limit. _I'm still too weak. I need to get stronger. But not enough energy to give…_ He rushed at the vampire with his arm cocked back, attempting to strike Elmenhilde only to be avoided with ease, the loli floating up above the strike and nailing him across the jaw with her umbrella.

"This would be far more painless if you just sat there and let me kill you." Elmenhilde sighed, placing her umbrella on her shoulder and shaking her head. "I know you spent too much energy fighting Okuyasu. That boost power you have is too new to you, isn't it?"

 _Shit, she's seeing right through me._ Issei mused in annoyance, trying to formulate a plan and wiping his mouth of blood. It was official that he couldn't match her as he was. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to try.

Josuke was faring somewhat better than Issei was, slowly walking forward as **Crazy Diamond** continued to deflect the barrage with its fist rush. "Just like Moses, who parted the Red Sea and walked across its floor, I'm gonna push my way through this army and beat you down!" Josuke shouted firmly, doing his best to close the distance without making a dumb move as he did so. For just a brief moment, his eye caught Issei and Elmenhilde in the corner, his best friend being overpowered by the loli _He's still too tired from earlier, and I'm guessing that vampire has more experience fighting. This is bad…_

On the ground, Josuke spied a piece of drywall, most likely what flew from the wreckage that was caused when Issei was knocked through the wall of the house. An idea came to the tall teen, a risky one at that. "Agh!" Issei cried out in pain as he saw Issei now pinned to the ground, Elmenhilde's umbrella now stabbing his shoulder with the tip. _I have to act now!_

He dived toward the rubble, continuing to let **Crazy Diamond** protect him from the direct attack that Keicho was attempting to hit him with. "Fool! You're walking right into my trap now!" Keicho cackled in triumph, causing Josuke to widen his eyes in shock. Under his foot, he felt a small bump and heard a click, and a moment later a small explosion erupted up and blasted his leg. _A landmine?!_ He grimaced, his leg racking with pain as he fell to the ground. Despite this, he quickly reached out with his Stand and grabbed part of the rubble.

"Apachi's! Launch your missile strike!" Keicho ordered again, causing Josuke to curse as he tried to figure out whether to focus on surviving or helping out Issei. He didn't have much time to think about it as the missiles approached, his Stand moving forward to block the attack.

 **DORA!** It growled as it knocked away a wave of missiles in front of him. He grunted in pain though as several missiles flanked him from the side, hitting **Crazy Diamond** in the forearm and causing him pain in the same spot. "My arm…" He groaned, holding it to nurse some of the pain away.

"First damage to your legs and then your arms! It seems that things are going as I predicted!" Keicho proclaimed smugly, letting out a triumphant laugh again. "Now let's see that head of yours blow off when all of my units attack you with a full assault! This is your loss, Josuke Higashikata!" He further taunted, only to pause as he saw the young JoJo slightly struggle as he picked up the piece of rubble that his Stand had grabbed earlier. "What's that? Are you planning to throw that at me? That's rather desperate." Keicho chuckled, shaking his head.

"I'm not worried about you at the moment, Okuyasu's big bro…" Josuke declared sternly, Keicho raising a brow in question. The piece of rubble was surrounded by a pink aura. "I'm worried about that vampire…"

"What?" Keicho muttered before looking back at Elmenhilde, who was standing over Issei.

"All of this pain could have been avoided had you just let me kill you quick." Elmenhilde taunted, raising her umbrella for a final strike. "Goodbye, Devil."

"Sh-shit… I'm not gonna die like this… You're not the girl I wanted to see last before I die…" Issei growled, weakly attempting to stand up from the ground only for the loli to dig her heel into one of his wounds. _I-I need more time to boost! I can't do it if she's-_

Suddenly Elmenhilde widened her eyes, looking up to see her arm being struck by part of the broken wall, which was now covered in a pink aura. "Wh-what?! What's happening?!" She blanched, unable to counter the fact that several pieces were now flying up at her from the floor, each one hitting her wrists and sending her up into the roof, suspending her there. "You damn human! You think you can restrain me so-" she was silenced as several pieces of the rubble slammed into her temple, effectively knocking her out for the moment.

"N-no way…" Issei muttered before turning to his best friend. "Josuke!" He cried in appreciation, only to pale as he saw that the tall teen was still surrounded by **Bad Company** , which still had it's weapons trained on Josuke ready to fire. _E-even though he's in trouble right now, he still saved me…_

"How foolish." Keicho scoffed, turning back to Josuke with a heavy glare. "Worrying about your comrade when you should be more worried about yourself. You could have used what time you had to devise something that might have helped you instead of helping him."

"I wouldn't expect…" Josuke muttered, pushing himself up to a sitting position. "... A guy who almost killed his own brother without a second thought to understand." he retorted with narrowed eyes. Keicho scoffed, shaking his head.

"It'll be that sentiment that kills you, Josuke Higashikata." Keicho declared before raising his arm. "All units, take aim! Ready…" his army cocked their rifles in preparation, the helicopters and tanks preparing their next round to attack.

Issei pushed up to his feet, huffing for breath as he watched in horror as Josuke faced a literal firing squad. _Goddamn it! How many times is he gonna save me and I can't return the favor?!_ He gripped his gauntlet in aggravation, sorting through all of his powers at once in hope of finding an answer to this situation. _He went out of his way to save me just like always! I'm not going to keep being a burden to him!_ He considered rushing at Keicho, but it was an obvious dumb move. The soldiers would easily just turn and fire on him. Even if he had his shield up, it wouldn't protect him from so much fire power at once. He would be overwhelmed.

 _Sometimes giving your enemy power can defeat them._

Issei's breath hitched as he remembered Rias's words during training, having spent quite a bit of time trying to improve his powers. He then grinned with determination, his crimson bracer glowing with energy once again.

 **Boost!**

 _Come on, a bit more!_

 **Boost!**

 _You can do this, Issei! More!_

 **Boost!**

 _That's it!_

" **Fire**!" Keicho gave out the final order to his soldiers. Issei grinded his teeth before letting out a determined battle cry, slamming his fist into the ground and sending out a shockwave through the floor.

 **Transfer!**

"What?" Keicho hummed, glancing back at Issei in question as the wave of energy passed him without notice. His Stand, however, received the gathered demonic energy within them, the soldiers and the tanks glowing with energy. Josuke received the boost as well, his eyes widening as he felt revitalized despite his wounds. They still hurt, but his body was able to fight the pain easily enough for him to try and stand without much support.

"Was that your last ditch effort to save Josuke Higashikata?" Keicho scoffed, grinning smugly at Issei and crossing his arms. "What a waste. Even if that power somehow transferred into him, it also gave my Stand, **Bad Company** , a boost. You've only sealed his fate!" He turned back to Josuke, raising his arm. "All units! **Fire!** "

"Don't be so sure about that, dumbass…" Issei chuckled with a confident smirk. **Bad Company** did indeed fire, but much to Keicho's shock, their shots were wild and heavily off course, their bullets and missiles all shooting into the air randomly. Only the Apachi helicopters shot on target, having been unaffected by the transfer of energy. That proved worthless as **Crazy Diamond** swiped away their torpedos.

"Wh-what's happening?!" Keicho asked in confusion before turning back to glare at Issei. "You… what the hell did you do to my Stand?!"

"I gave it an energy boost, couldn't you tell?" Issei declared, pointing at Keicho as he started to explain. "But I didn't give **you** the power boost. I gave it directly to your Stand. And since your Stand is so small, each individual soldier and tank can't take the amount of demonic energy I put forward into my transfer. It's the equivalent of handing an infantryman a missile launcher when he's only used to shooting a rifle. He doesn't know how to handle the kickback or the power all at once, and freaks out. If I had given it to you, it would have distributed fine and actually been controlled. But the same doesn't apply when I do it directly to them. Now they're just going nuts."

"You Devil scum…" Keicho cursed, gripping his fists as he glanced around to see the majority of his soldiers moving sporadically and fidgeting uncontrollably. "You may have disabled most of the ground force, but it didn't work on my air force! Apachi's! Move forward and destroy the Devil!" He ordered in rage, the helicopters flying forward toward Issei. The brunette only sighed and shook his head.

"For a guy so meticulous and strategic, that was a dumb move. You left yourself wide open." Issei declared, causing Keicho to raise a brow before he felt the hairs on his neck stand up, realizing what he meant.

"That's just great." Josuke spoke behind him, Keicho turning slightly to see a smug grin on his face as he stood only a meter away. "You gave me plenty of room to work with."

" **B-Bad Company**! Protec-" Keicho started, only to find the fist of **Crazy Diamond** planting in the center of his face.

"That's enough orders out of you!" Josuke roared as his Stand moved forward and cocked it's other arm back before unleashing a powerful fist rush upon the elder Stand user. **DORARARARARARARA~!** Keicho barely knew what hit him as the Stand punched him faster than he could process. **DORA~!** It delivered a final blow into his sternum, launching Keicho across the room and blasting him through the wall opposite to Josuke. The tall teen took a moment to huff for breath before sighing in relief, allowing his legs to buckle so that he was now sitting on the ground and grinning at Issei with a thumbs up. "You bastard, showin' me up with that move of yours. It was just **great**."

Issei laughed and gave a broad grin of his own, holding a thumbs up with his crimson bracer. "You can't always be the coolest guy around."

 **To be continued…**

 **Phew, was that final bit of the fight hard to finish. It took me quite a bit of time to figure out exactly what I wanted to finish it out. I didn't want a rehashing of Josuke vs Keicho with a bit of Issei thrown in. I wanted his presence to be far more significant as well as Elmenhilde's use in this scene. I hope you all liked how that turned out, because boy was it difficult to finish XD**

 **Also I know Okuyasu might have taken quite a bit of damage here and gotten back up, but remember that Stand users are innately durable. Not to mention Issei's not incredibly strong yet. Though his hits here are definitely decent compared to his first appearance.**

 **Lastly, I just want to clear something up so that it doesn't come into further question in case the hints I dropped on the subject weren't enough: Issei will NOT be getting his own Stand. His Sacred Gear is OP on its own, so he doesn't need more power. If I did that, I'd have to give Josuke a Sacred Gear as well, which I don't agree with doing. Just wanted everyone to know that so that they don't expect it in the future.**

 **Alright, that about does it for this chapter! I hope you all enjoyed, please leave a favorite, follow and a review for me! It's much appreciated! Peace! *JoJo pose***


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I own neither JoJo's Bizarre Adventure or Highschool DxD**

Chapter 11

Asia groaned as she started to wake up, a pounding headache the first thing she felt. She took a moment to remember what happened, her eyes slowly batting open. _What… happened?_

"O-oi, are you alright?" A familiar gruff voice asked in concern, causing Asia to slowly turn to look at the punk from before who had messed with Issei.

"You're…" Asia mumbled before her eyes widened in realization, suddenly regaining memories of what previously went down at the Nijimura residence. She quickly backed away from Okuyasu, only to bump into the wall of his home. "St-stay away!"

"O-oi, wait a sec! I'm not gonna hurt you!" Okuyasu tried to explain, holding his hands up in surrender. "I-I got you away from my brother!"

"Huh?" Asia mumbled, glancing around to see that she was outside. The last thing she remembered was being swooped up by the vampire girl and being taken hostage. After that, she woke up and screamed when she realized she was in the hands of Okuyasu's older brother Keicho. "Wh-what happened?! Where are Issei and Josuke?!"

"They're inside. They went to go fight my brother and Elmy-chan." Okuyasu told her, crouching so that they could speak at eye level. "It was pretty loud a while ago, but everything went quiet. I don't know who won yet."

"They fought?" Asia asked before gasping. "Oh no! Josuke needs me! He can't heal himself like he can others! I have to go in!" She proclaimed, attempting to stand up before vertigo set in and nearly knocked her back down.

"Wait a minute! You can't go in there!" Okuyasu tried to dissuade her. "I don't even know if they won the fight! My brother's Stand is pretty strong too!"

"All the more reason I need to go! I want to help them!" Asia pleaded, looking up at the punk with teary eyes. "Please, allow me to go!"

Okuyasu bit his lip in frustration, unsure what to do at this point. He really didn't like all the thinking he was being forced to do alone at the moment, and so he finally gave in. "Shit, alright we'll go. But stay behind me in case they did lose. They gave you to me to keep safe, so I'll do just that."

"Thank you so much!" Asia cried in appreciation, her rather cute expression causing Okuyasu to blush and turn away.

"Y-yeah, don't worry about it… wait here a sec…" He told her, standing up and walking on tiptoe to his front door, popping his head inside to look around. "Looks like Elmy-chan's fog is all gone now…" Asia followed close behind, wanting desperately to head in as fast as possible but deciding to follow Okuyasu's instructions. She realized suddenly that he had been an enemy at first, and couldn't help but wonder something very simple.

"Um… why did you decide to help me?" Asia asked curiously, causing the punk to pause for a moment and glance back at her. Sweat dripped down his chin, Okuyasu looking a little torn on the answer.

"Josuke saved my life after my bro shot me tryin' to kill them." Okuyasu admitted, the fact of his brother's betrayal causing him to cringe. "I'm not very smart, you see… so I kinda just act on what my heart tells me."

"I see…" Asia muttered after a moment, pondering his answer before giving a soft smile. "I'm glad to hear that. I didn't think you were bad at all. I'm glad to see I was right. You're a nice person."

Okuyasu seemed to choke on his words at Asia's response, causing him to blush and shake his head. "A-anyway, we should move in now. Doesn't look like they're on this floor." Okuyasu informed her, moving in slowly with Asia not far behind.

"Thank you!" She said in appreciation once again before trying to make a serious but rather cute face despite this. "I'll be on guard!"

"U-uh yeah…" Okuyasu mumbled, unable to take her seriously. _Goddamn it, she's cute. I think she's my type…_ He shook his head, trying to focus back on what lay ahead of them.

* * *

"Man, that was truly some great danger we were in, huh?" Josuke huffed, nursing his arm that received several missiles during the battle. His leg looked far worse, dripping down his pants with blood from the wound the landmine gave him. The power up that Issei had given him had faded, but thankfully the pain was still numbed at least for the moment. "Do you see the Bow and Arrow anywhere?"

"Not on this guy." Issei sighed, having searched Keicho's unconscious body as cautiously as possible as to not wake him up. "The loli didn't have it on her either. Looks like he hid it somewhere."

"Great. I'd rather just hurry up and get the hell out of here, but we can't leave those things with them." Josuke sighed, somewhat limping toward the door. "Come on, there's another floor we can search. There's no way it just disappeared."

"Yeah." Issei nodded, following after him and opening the door for the taller teen. "If you want I can help you walk."

"It's not too bad. I should be fine as long as we get to Asia after this." Josuke reassured, waving away the brunette's offered help. "Besides. For all we know someone else could be here. You'll have to fight him first."

"I seriously doubt it at this point. They would have come running with all the commotion we caused." Issei replied with a shrug as they arrived at the steps. The two moved slowly up, heading for the third floor. Each step was as rickety as the next, no care being taken in the condition of the home. For whatever reason, the two boys began to feel tense as they approached, seeing two doors to the upstairs room. Issei moved forward first, slowly reaching and grabbing the doorknob.

" **Grragh…"** The two stopped immediately when they heard the low wail, glancing at each other in question.

"What the hell was that?" Issei gulped, summoning his Sacred Gear once more and becoming alert.

"Maybe they have a dog or somethin'. That didn't sound like anything human." Josuke reasoned, leaning against the railing for support. "If it's just a dog, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Just be careful."

"I got it." Issei nodded before slowly twisting the knob and pushing it open. Much to his shock, a hand reached out and grabbed his wrist, causing him to let out a small scream of surprise. "Wh-what the hell is that?!" He cried out as he saw the details of it's arm. It was green and covered in what looked like sores and boils. It wasn't something anyone would call 'human'. Issei acted quickly, rearing back with his free arm and slamming into it, his **Boosted Gear** glowing as he did so. Without warning, the arm fell off from the impact, landing in front of the two on the ground and spewing a green liquid that didn't look like blood.

"What the hell?! I didn't mean to chop it off!" Issei nearly barfed, disturbed by the site on the floor. The creature it previously belonged to whimpered in pain and retreated from the door, the sound of chains being dragged ringing in their ears.

"What the hell is in there?!" Josuke muttered before grinding his teeth and busting the door open with his shoulder. Whatever creature had grabbed onto the brunette had quickly retreated further into the room, hiding behind an old chest. It was dark inside, but was lit by a single large roof window at the center, along with several cracks in the window. Much like most of the house they'd seen so far, the room was generally empty. But this time, the Bow and Arrow hung on the wall.

"There they are!" Issei pointed out. As tempted as the two were to grab it, they couldn't help but look at the creature that had previously scared them. It let out several wet grunts, as if scared or anxious, but made no move to attack the two. "What is that thing?" Issei muttered, torn about stepping toward it.

"Careful. We still don't know what it can do." Josuke warned, sweat dripping down his brow as he watched it carefully. It seemed to become less wary, hobbling out of the darkness slowly and into the light at the center of the room. Josuke and Issei couldn't help but grimace in disgust, the creature's features becoming visible. It was very short with rough, blistered green skin, no ears, and something resembling a beak for his nose and mouth. A chain was tightly fitted around it's neck, and it wore a red shirt and beige shorts.

"Why would they keep this thing up here?" Issei mumbled curiously, looking on with both wonder and pity as the thing seemed to grumble out incoherent sounds. The arm that had been chopped had apparently grown back, causing the two to slightly pale. It suddenly dashed forward and grabbed the detached limb and ran back to its corner, a crunching sound now coming from it as it feasted on it's own arm.

"I can't believe something like this has been so close to my house…" Josuke groaned in disgust, having a hard time watching it.

"It looks like you both… have seen our secret…" A weak voice coughed out, the two turning to the door at the end of the room to see Keicho staggering in. His body was still torn up from the beatdown he received, making it a wonder how he was moving around.

"You're still conscious?" Issei cursed in annoyance, preparing to fight again with his Sacred Gear ready.

"Don't you move any closer to the Bow and Arrow." Josuke warned, **Crazy Diamond** appearing behind him.

"That thing over there…" Keicho muttered, his focus solely on the hideous creature. "Is our father." Issei and Josuke visibly paused, soaking in the information Keicho had shared with them. "What?!" They both cried out in shock. Keicho paid them little mind, frailly grabbing the Bow and Arrow from their hanging place.

"My father needs these." Keicho continued through ragged breaths, supporting himself on the wall to stand. "I need to find a Stand user that can fulfill our needs. Until then, no matter what, I can't let anyone have them or destroy them." He declared firmly, gripping the ancient items in his hands.

"Is it some kind of sickness?" Josuke asked curiously, unsure of how much the older Nijimura brother might share.

"Sickness? Not at all." Keicho scoffed, glancing at his deranged father almost in annoyance and anger. "In fact, he's quite healthy and has a horrible appetite. But all he does is moan, and doesn't even recognize me as his son."

"Are you looking for a Stand to fix him?" Issei asked this time, glancing curiously at Josuke in wonder of whether he could fix something so deformed. Keicho let out a bitter, sullen laugh.

"Fix? Is he gonna fix him for me?" Keicho grunted, glancing at Josuke for a moment before shaking his head. "No, it's not that either. In fact it's the opposite…" he continued to laugh, but the pain was obvious in his voice as tears started to stream from his eyes. "I'm looking for a Stand that can kill my dad."

"What?" Josuke muttered, raising a brow in wonder.

"It doesn't matter what you do to him, my father can't die. I've grinded him up, cut up his body but nothing works…" Keicho explained, gripping his arm in frustration and pain. To the side, Josuke and Issei noticed the Nijimura father starting to scratch away at the trunk desperately, but unable to use his hands properly. "I just want him to have a normal death… that's all I've ever wished for him. I swore when I was a child that I'd give anything to make it happen." He gripped the Bow and Arrow closer to him before looking back up at the two. "That's why I need these items! All because of the man called Dio who placed his cells within my father."

"Dio?!" Josuke and Issei cried out in understanding, remembering the story told by Sona and Rias.

"Allow me to tell you a bit about my past…" Keicho actually asked, his eyes trailing to his father who had finally opened the chest. "Eleven years ago, when were just children, we lived with our father and mother and had normal life. But when the stock market plummeted, my father's business fell through. At the same time, my mother contracted an illness and passed away. He fell into depression and started to hit Okuyasu and I for no reason. He was a real loser." He spat in anger, sending a glare over to his grotesque parent.

"But then, out of nowhere, money just started to roll in for my father." Keicho continued, looking up in thought. "We had no idea where it all came from, but we didn't really care. Our father stopped hitting us, and we had some semblance of stability thanks to all the money. But as it turns out, it was all coming from that man Dio." Keiho grinded his teeth in anger, cursing the very name now. "My father had sold his soul to that man and became his minion for the money. Apparently Dio was looking for anyone who had Stand potential, which included my father. Though I don't even know what kind of Stand he ever had. But one day, so long ago but so fresh in my mind, things began to collapse for my father. One day I came home to find Okuyasu crying on the ground. I had thought our shitty father had started to hit him again, but as it turns out it was much worse. I walked into the kitchen only to find my father had started to deform, screaming that Dio must have died."

"How… did he know that?" Issei muttered, a newfound sympathy inside him for the brothers, though more specifically for Okuyasu as he had suffered quite a bit with his brother.

"Dio implanted his cells into the brain of those he didn't trust." Keicho declared biting his bottom lip. "And when he died, the flesh bud inside of my father went berserk, turning him into this thing. After a year, he fully became this blob who can't even recognize his own sons." A thud rang out, turning the three's attention to Keicho's father who had knocked over the chest and was now scratching through it pathetically. "I had no idea what any of it meant. Why he had the Bow and Arrow and why this happened to my father. I had tried to research everything I could, but it was all put under wraps by the Speedwagon Foundation. That was, until almost a year ago, I met **her**."

"Her?" Issei repeated, raising a brow before his eyes widened. "Wait, the devil chick that's been giving us trouble?"

"That's right. Myrcella's her name." Keicho declared, glaring at the mention of the girl. "She found me and my brother some time ago, seeking out the Bow and Arrow for herself. She told us about everything, from Dio to Stand users, and all about Devils and Angels. Everything. But because of this, it became apparent that my father would never recover, because my father had merged with Dio's immortal cells completely."

"So are you her servant now like Angelo was?" Josuke asked, narrowing his eyes. Keicho only let out an amused chuckle, shaking his head.

"No, I was never interested in working for her. Despite all the information she gave me, I never trusted that woman. So instead we struck a deal. As a Stand user, I have a better aptitude for finding those with the potential to have Stands." He declared, his gaze becoming more focused. "So in exchange for finding Stand users to make her servants, she would seek a way to be able to kill my father through magic and her Devil powers. For a time, I refused her deal… but…" He glanced back at his father, grinding his teeth in anger as he watched the creature scratch around in the trunk. "Watching him uselessly waddle around, day after day needlessly going through this trunk, made me desperate to end his life. In the end, I accepted the offer."

The elder Nijimura brother staggered over to the chest and grabbed the chain around his father's neck, pulling him out. "How could I not, having to stand here and watch this pathetic thing each and every day! And it's always this damn box!" He growled, glancing at it from the side. "If I take it away, he just cries for days! Watching him just makes me hate the idea of living…" He pulled the chain so that his father was close to his face. "What did I tell you?! Stop digging around in that damn thing!" He roared and smashed his fist into the creature's face.

"Hey, what the hell?!" Issei cried out in shock.

"Don't get so worked up." Keicho scoffed, stooping over his father and stepping on him. "This pathetic thing heals from everything I do. So every now and then I have to beat him so that he listens." He declared before starting to furiously kick at his father. The pitiful creature on the ground whined in pain, obviously hurt despite the fact that it healed so quickly. "But no matter what I do, he always digs around in that damn chest!"

"You're going too far!" Josuke protested. "That's your father!" His words seemed to stop Keicho if only for a moment, the man's brow shadowed.

"That's right, he is. By blood, he is my father." Keicho admitted quietly before shaking his head. "But at the same time, he's as much my father as he isn't. He's a man who sold his soul to Dio and got what he deserved. But even so…" He looked back at the two again with a pained frown. "Do you know how it feels, not being able to finish him off because he's your dad?"

"Finish him off? But how could…" Issei started before it hit him. "Okuyasu… he has the power to kill your dad, doesn't he?"

"That's right, he's always had it." Keicho sighed before grinding his teeth. "But he could never get it in him to do it, no matter how bad our father got. Even though at times I was angry at him for it, I couldn't hate him for it either…" Keicho admitted, his gaze falling on his father again. The ugly blob had crawled its way back into the trunk, now fiddling with several scraps of paper. "So instead, we just wanted to find him a normal death at least. Once my father passes on, my life can finally begin."

Josuke slowly turned his attention back to the trunk, watching as the creature started to attempt to line up some pieces. Immediately he realized that the man's actions weren't needless, for he had some true purpose behind going through the box. _What is that?_

"I just told you to stop! How many times do I have to say it?!" Keicho growled, stomping his foot on his father's back again.

"That's enough!" Josuke boomed, taking off and dashing at the elder Nijimura brother.

"I can't let you have this Bow and Arrow! Not until I fulfill my purpose! No matter what!" Keicho growled, leaning back against the wall and preparing to fight once more.

"Don't get me wrong, I'll deal with the Bow and Arrow in a bit." Josuke retorted before turning toward the trunk itself. "But that box is what has my attention right now." **Crazy Diamond** formed in front of Josuke before unleashing a punch. **DORA!** It growled as it slammed it's fist into the trunk and breaking it into pieces. Immediately after, it started to reform back into place. Along with it, the scraps inside started to connect once again.

"What?" Issei muttered as the scraps completely formed into one piece, floating in the air and into the hands of the Nijimura's father. Issei walked forward to look, his eyes widening in surprise to see that it was photo, a family picture of a young Keicho and Okuyasu with their parents. Immediately, the creature began to weep furiously, the picture awakening hidden emotions that were long since forgotten.

"This whole time, he just wanted a picture of you guys…" Issei muttered, looking at Keicho who looked flabbergasted beyond belief. His eyes once again started to water, his hand loosening on the chain that held his father. "A picture of you and Okuyasu, and how he remembered you both from then…"

Behind the wall outside the room, a certain punk stood and listened, his eyes quickly filling with pained tears of his own as he gripped the wall.

"Okuyasu-san…" Asia muttered, reaching out and placing a hand on his shoulder in sympathy. A heavy silence filled the air, the only sound to be heard was the weeping of the creature on the ground who rubbed its face against the picture in longing. After some time, Josuke sighed, rubbing the back of his head.

"If you give up on finding a Stand to kill him," He started, bringing Keicho and Issei's attention to him, "and focus on finding one that can cure him, then I don't mind helping you out." Keicho visibly shuddered, taken back by the offer while Okuyasu was astounded. Issei and Asia smiled from their place as they knew Josuke to be that kind of man. "But to do that, we have to make sure that the Bow and Arrow are destroyed." He held out his hand, giving Keicho an option. "Give them to me. I'm gonna snap them in half." He declared.

Keicho watched him for a moment in silence, his eyes assessing his options. Finally, as if fear took over, the elder Nijimura brother backed away slowly, edging toward the door. "Are you running away?" Josuke asked carefully, narrowing his eyes at him.

"Big bro, let's stop this." Okuyasu spoke, finally coming out of his hiding place. Josuke and Issei looked back to see that his eyes were also filled with sorrow, but now touched with hope in them.

"You stuck around?" Issei commented, but the Nijimura's were too focused on one another to hear him. Asia walked in after him, quickly moving to Issei and Josuke's side. "Asia!"

"I'm so glad you're both safe!" Asia cried out happily, wrapping her arms around the boys. Josuke hid a pained grunt, patting her back with a smile while Issei hugged her protectively.

"Let's just stop all of this, okay?" Okuyasu said again, stepping closer to his brother once more. "We might be able to cure dad. Even if his body doesn't change, maybe his mind and memories will go back to normal." He finally closed the gap, almost pleading now as he took the bow in his hand. "Isn't that enough?"

Keicho was silent, staring at Okuyasu in disbelief for a long moment before looking down at his hand. Suddenly it seemed that reality came back to him, the older brother hardening his glare. "What do you think you're holding Okuyasu?"

"B-big bro…" Okuyasu tried once more, but Keicho only tightened his grip and glared heavily at his younger brother.

"Out of the way, Okuyasu! I can't turn back anymore, no matter what happens!" Keicho declared intensely. "I've killed so many people in this town with this Bow and Arrow! There is no going back!" Suddenly his glare became more dangerous, pulling back at the bow once more. "Besides, I no longer consider you my brother! Which means I won't hesitate to kill you if I have to!"

"B-big bro…" Okuyasu muttered in shock, sadness filling him now.

"This bastard…" Issei growled, pushing Asia securely behind him and Josuke now in fear that Keicho would attack them at any time. Josuke prepared for the same, but suddenly noticed a shadow above them. He glanced up, only to see a silhouette of a man leaning on the window staring down at them. It was male, and he knew it couldn't be the vampire from before.

"Who the hell…?" He muttered before looking at the brothers. "Oi, do you have any other family or your Devil friends hanging around?"

"Wh-what? There's only the three of us and Elmy-chan here…" Okuyasu admitted as they all glanced upward at the figure. It suddenly disappeared, only for a spark to light up from behind the younger Nijimura brother. Josuke turned his attention to the wall as an electrical outlet started to spark to life even more now and suddenly a Stand formed from it. It resembled an alien with a beak and a lizard-like tail. It's head was similar to that of a dinosaur in structure. Its entire body glows yellow with electrical energy, slowly approaching the Nijimura brothers.

 _It came from the electrical outlet?!_ Josuke mused in confusion, having no idea what kind of Stand this was before them. Keicho had quickly taken notice, realizing that he was reaching for the closest one of them, which was Okuyasu.

"Okuyasu, watch out!" Issei cried out in warning, hoping the punk would notice.

 _Okuyasu's in danger!_ Keicho suddenly thought, acting on instinct and rearing his arm back. "Okuyasu! Stop spacing out, you moron!" He roared before punching his brother away from him. Not a moment later, he soon found the Stand's fist piercing through his chest. Blood spewed from the wound and the older Nijimura brother coughed up blood from his lungs.

"Big bro!" Okuyasu cried out in shock, unable to stop the Stand from attacking his brother now.

"Keicho Nijimura! It seems like you've gotten too greedy with the Bow and Arrow!" The Stand laughed, gripping the holy items in his hands. "We'll be taking those back from you now."

"That bitch, Myrcella… I knew I couldn't trust her…" Keicho coughed out in pain. "I won't let her take the Bow and Arrow… **Bad Company!** " He called out, attempting to summon his Stand.

"Shut up!" The Stand growled as it let electricity surge through all of Keicho's body, immediately causing him to lose focus and dismiss his Stand once again. "Myrcella said to give you her regards. And sorry that your partnership had to end this way! Perhaps if you hadn't been so foolish as to threaten her and act so selfishly with these holy items, she might have let you live on to fulfill your goal!"

"You two aren't worthy to wield the Bow and Arrow…" Keicho growled defiantly as the Stand started to pull him into the electrical outlet, his body being converted into electricity.

"I-it's taking him into the wall!" Issei gawked, standing there helpless like everyone else.

"It's turning him and the Bow and Arrow into electricity! Don't get too close!" Josuke warned, though Okuyasu didn't seem to be listening at the moment.

"Big bro!" Okuyasu cried out, attempting to reach out to his fading brother.

"Don't come near me!" Keicho shouted fiercely, groaning in pain as he was slowly being pulled away. "You'll only get dragged in as well… damn it… Okuyasu… you've always been holding me back…" were his last words before finally being pulled away into the outlet and disappearing from sight.

" **Big bro**!" Okuyasu called out once more in vain, reaching out for him to no avail. Outside the room, just against the wall, stood Elmenhilde. The loli vampire's gaze was cast down, her eyes covered in shadow as she listened to the scene unfold, having no need to watch to know what happened.

 _Okuyasu…_ She thought sympathetically, gripping her fist in frustration. _I'm sorry…_

 _Several minutes before going up stairs, Okuyasu had found Elmenhilde pinned to the top of the wall, quickly pulling her down and laying her on her back. She was barely conscious, but could make out the small conversation a bit between him and the blond they had previously kidnapped._

" _Y-you can heal people right? Do you mind… healing her?" Okuyasu asked Asia hopefully, causing the blond to release a small yelp in surprise. "I know she helped kidnap you and stuff, so I get you might not wanna, it's just that… she's my friend. Even if she is a pain in the ass sometimes."_

Elmenhilde should have woken with some marks and pain in her head, but found none of them. It seemed the boy had truly gotten the Devil to heal her. _Please don't hate me the next time I see you._ A flock of bats surrounded Elmenhilde's body, carrying her off and out one of the windows away from the house.

Josuke had acted quickly, once the light show died down he quickly jumped on a box against the wall before jumping up to the window and busting it out, searching for the man who was previously watching them.

"Josuke!" Issei called out before jumping up after him to catch up, unsure who might have been on the roof.

"I could have sworn that the guy on the roof was the user. But it looks like he's gone already…" Josuke muttered as he searched around desperately for their target. Okuyasu quickly climbed up after them, hoping to find clues of his brother's captor as well. "Okuyasu, do you know anything about the Stand user we just saw?"

"N-no. My big bro made a lot of Stand users I don't know about…" The punk admitted as he stood at full length before his eyes widened in horror. "J-Josuke, Issei…" he called out, causing the two to turn to him. "T-that's…" He mumbled, pointing forward weakly. They followed his line of site, grimacing as they saw the sad sight as well. Keicho's body was tangled up in the power lines several houses down, his body charred beyond repair and his eyes lifeless.

"Okuyasu…" Josuke muttered in sympathy, Issei even walking up and putting a hand on the punk's shoulder in comfort. Despite all the fighting they had previously done, the brunette had seen the boy in a new light. Not as a delinquent with an attitude problem, but a guy with a rather sad past who did whatever his brother asked.

"My brother… deserved to end up like that…" Okuyasu admitted shakily, his body trembling in pain and grief. "There's no way he could have lived a normal life after everything he did…" he didn't shed a tear, as if he had mentally prepared himself for this day for a long time. "But you know…" He quickly turned back to look at Josuke and Issei, his voice barely cracking as he spoke. "In the end, my big bro… in the very end, my big brother defended me, didn't he?! You both saw it, right?!" He asked almost desperately, as if trying to find some solace in the fact that Keicho did one good thing for him before his death.

Josuke and Issei shared a solemn look before they both nodded and Josuke spoke, "That's right. I saw it. In the end, your brother defended you."

* * *

It wasn't long after that Issei had contacted Rias and the others about what happened, informing them of the loss of the Bow and Arrow and Nijimura Keicho. Jotaro had driven over quickly, picking up the group including Okuyasu, and bringing them back to the school. The punk Stand user had become silent, but wanted to be part of this discussion, knowing that it had to do with the person who killed his older brother. Most usually he would have been quite interested in the girls of the Occult Research Club, but he was far too downtrodden to even notice them. They had all finally convened in the club room as originally planned, now able to speak on the day's events as well as their current enemy. Rias, the rest of her peerage, Sona and Tsubaki were waiting for them when they arrived.

"I'm so glad you're all okay!" Rias said happily, hugging both Issei and Asia comfortingly. "I was starting to get worried when you all didn't show up or answer your phones. To think that you'd encounter the enemy so close to your own home."

"Yeah, that was definitely a major coincidence." Josuke sighed, glancing at Okuyasu. The punk didn't say anything, still staring at the ground from his place on one of the couches. He suddenly found himself being hugged by Rias this time, causing him to sweat drop. "O-oi, you don't have to give me the baby treatment too…"

"You're one of my friends, Josuke. I think you've earned that much." Rias teased before backing away from him and glancing at Okuyasu. "I hate to sound suspicious of you, Okuyasu Nijimura, but are you all sure that we can trust him? He did just fight you both after all." Okuyasu seemed to be pulled from his own little world when he heard Rias call his name, glancing at Josuke and the two Devils he had encountered that day.

Josuke glanced at both Issei and Asia, both giving nods in confirmation, before looking back at Rias with a small smile. "Yeah, we're sure we can trust him. He's been through alot and was doing it for his brother after all."

"Even if he is still a punk." Issei joked, nudging the new Stand user of the group with his elbow and hoping to elevate his mood. Okuyasu didn't seem to notice much, only turning his gaze back to the floor. Issei frowned, unsure what could be done for the boy now.

"We should focus on the matters at hand." Jotaro interjected, turning everyone's attention to him. "We at least know how this Devil was making Stand users for sure now, but we don't have a location for her either."

"She also seems to have several Stand users outside of that Angelo fellow that Josuke dispatched of." Sona added this time, adjusting her glasses. "Who knows how many others she has gathered. Or if she's gathered any more at all aside from the one who committed the execution."

"My big bro said that…" Okuyasu finally spoke up, looking at the others now more attentive. "She didn't accept all the ones that he made. Some of them weren't good enough for her. Angelo was the only one I knew about and… she asked me to join a while back."

"That makes a lot of sense." Josuke mused, crossing his arms. "Your Stand is pretty terrifying to anyone. I'm sure plenty of people would die to have it."

"Oh? And what power does his Stand possess?" Sona asked, her glasses shining as she became instantly interested before Rias rolled her eyes.

"Now's not the time to fill the spots in your peerage, Sona." Rias sighed before taking the conversation back on point. "So her name is Myrcella, right? It's a bit familiar but not a completely uncommon name in the Devil community. Do you have a family name?"

Okuyasu looked away in thought for a moment, holding his chin. "I think I heard it once, but it was really weird…" He muttered, closing his eyes as he tried to summon the thought. "What was it now…"

"While he tries to remember, I might as well ask." Jotaro suddenly interjected, crossing his arms and looking at Rias. "I've been having the Speedwagon Foundation look into Devil's and Angels. But when they tried to dig further into it, apparently they were stonewalled by the Catholic Church. Do they know about Devils and Angels?"

"Yes, they do." Rias confirmed with a nod. "In fact, they're the main source of forces of Heaven in the human world. Asia here was once part of it until certain events." She explained, indicating to the blond who nodded meekly. Jotaro gave a grunt in answer, nodding in understanding.

"I see. I suppose that means it's their job to keep such things out of the public eye as well. I'll be sure to avoid them in the future." Jotaro accepted.

"If you need any information, feel free to come to us." Sona offered, acting much more professional than the first time they met. "While I know we're children to you, I can assure you that we're well informed in most of the general knowledge among Devils."

"I figured you might be, but I haven't been fully sure whether to rely on you all too much or not." Jotaro bluntly explained before giving a sigh. "But I suppose I'll do my best to place more trust in you. You have been of help since I've arrived."

"It's fine if you're still a bit unsure. Us being Devil's may seem a bit confusing after all." Rias giggled in understanding. She suddenly frowned, leaning back against her table and holding her chin. "Still, I wish we understood more about this Devil in town. She must know that we live here and that she'll have attracted the attention of house Gremory at this point. What's her purpose?" She hummed in thought.

"It started with an 'L' I think…" Okuyasu muttered, the punk looking far more deep in thought now than he did before.

"Hey, don't fry your brain over it if you don't know. It obviously needs all the brain cells up there as it is." Issei sighed, patting Okuyasu on the back.

"I know it! I swear!" Okuyasu retorted sourly before turning away to try and think of it again. "Le-Lu…" He muttered in frustration.

"Let him think about it." Josuke shrugged, leaning against the back of the couch. "We still don't really have many leads aside from her first name. And we only know about the one Stand user that took the Bow and Arrow."

"And if it's a name we recognize, we might be able to determine at least some idea of their purpose." Rias added with a nod.

"Ah! I remember it now!" Okuyasu declared in excitement, almost as if he had found the answer to the question of life. "It's Myrcella **Lucifuge**! Man that's such a weird name, but it kinda stuck in my mind..."

Rias, Akeno, Sona and Tsubaki immediately tensed shock, causing the others to turn to them in question. Sweat rolled down the crimson haired Devil's cheek, unable to hide her anxiety. "It can't be…"

"I'm guessing you know who this girl is." Jotaro suddenly spoke, lifting his hat a bit to look at her directly. "Who is she to you?"

Rias and Sona shared a look of fear for a moment before the red head sighed. "She's… the little sister of my older brother's wife, Grayfia Lucifuge."

"Wait, what?!" Josuke blinked in surprise. "First off, you have an older brother? And second, why would his wife's sister be building a peerage of Stand users?!"

"That's… complicated I suppose." Rias bit her thumb in thought before looking up at those in the room listening. "You see, during the war between Factions a long time ago, my brother and his wife were on opposite sides. But as fate would have it, they fell in love on the battlefield and were able to work together toward ending the war. Not many agreed with this result, including Grayfia's own family of house Lucifuge."

"You could say that her sister shared the same view as the rest of her family." Sona added this time, placing a hand on her hip. "Myrcella and Grayfia were apparently very close for a time, but it all changed after she fell in love with Sirzechs Lucifer, Rias's older brother."

"Myrcella became ashamed of Grayfia, seeing her infatuation of my brother to be weakness and that she betrayed their household." Rias continued from that point. "Not too long ago, when I was visiting my brother's home, Myrcella came barging in demanding to fight my brother."

"Wait, so you know her personally?" Issei asked this time, only for Rias to shake her head.

"I only saw her the one time and now and then during negotiations of the Faction war. Other than that, I've never directly spoken to her." Rias explained to her pawn before turning to the others again. "Back to what happened, she never got the chance to fight my brother as Grayfia instead put her sister in her place. The difference in their power was very obvious, for she was barely at my level at the time. Grayfia still loves her sister, and wanted to take care of her, but Myrcella turned her help away. Instead, she ran out of the manor swearing that she'd one day kill my brother."

"Talk about upset over her sister's engagement." Josuke facetiously muttered, biting his bottom lip. "But why would she go about gathering Stand users to do that? I know you guys said Stands have potential being made as Devils, but no one knows exactly to what extent right?"

"It's not just that." Rias sighed, shaking her head. "You see, as we all know there are certain Stands with power enough to fight even the strongest Devils. My brother is Sirzechs Lucifer, one of the four Maou, making him one of the strongest current living Devils."

"Wow, your entire family is just a powerhouse, huh?" Josuke muttered in shock, rubbing the back of his head. "But do you really think a Stand out there can beat your older brother if he's that strong?"

"My older brother told me a long time ago that there are certain powers out there that even he fears. One of them being the potential within Stands." Rias admitted, turning to Josuke this time. "Jotaro-san's and Dio's ability to stop time is something that is nearly impossible to achieve even in the Devil community, unless you possess a certain Sacred Gear." Rias faltered for a moment with a frown before shaking her head. "But regardless, Stands act differently than our powers. Some are nigh absolute in the powers they possess. Meaning that no matter how strong an opponent is, they may still fall victim to their powers." She then turned to Jotaro once more. "He even said that if he were to fight a Stand user with power and speed like yours in a close range fight, he wouldn't be able to stop it."

"I have more troubling news to add to this." Sona declared glancing at Jotaro now. "Jotaro-san. Myrcella is from one of the hierarchy families. Which means that she has full knowledge of who you are and your ability to stop time."

Jotaro narrowed his eyes before huffing. "Yare yare daze. I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. If this girl's going through all the trouble of turning Stand users into her servants, then it means she's got a lot of prior knowledge. This is becoming more irritating than I thought it'd be, though."

Suddenly the phone of the clubroom started to ring, causing the group to pause in their discussion. Rias raised a brow as the phone was rarely used and that it was still a Sunday, meaning no one should have been in the school. She elected to pick it up, putting it on speaker.

"Rias speaking, who is this?" Rias asked curtly, crossing her arms under her chest. It was silent for a moment before a voice finally spoke.

" _Is Jotaro Kujo available to talk?"_ A familiar male voice rang out, immediately causing Josuke, Okuyasu, Issei and Asia to freeze in recognition.

"You bastard!" Okuyasu barked in anger, standing from his seat and stomping toward the phone.

" _Well, if it isn't Keicho's little brother~!"_ The voice cackled in response. _"Just so you know, it was purely business what happened with your brother. Don't take it too personal. He pissed off my mistress, and paid for it."_

"You son of a bitch…" Okuyasu growled, gripping his fist white. Josuke put a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him down.

"You wanted to talk to me?" Jotaro quickly intervened, knowing Okuyasu may become too emotional speaking to the man on the other side. "Who are you?"

" _Ah, you must be Jotaro Kujo, then. That's right, my mistress wanted me to give you a message. Who I am is of no concern to you."_ The man declared, his tone rather collected while sounding a bit upbeat. _"You see, now that we have the Bow and Arrow, my mistress would like to continue making Stand users for her peerage. The problem is that we don't want you snooping around in our business."_

"Are you going to try and kill me?" Jotaro asked with narrowed eyes, his stoic voice showing a bit of a strong edge.

" _Quite the opposite, actually. You see, my mistress knows all~ about your ability to stop time. She thinks that since you haven't likely kept training with it, you can only stop time for a second or two. But even so, time stops menacing no matter how short. I doubt I could beat you. So instead, she would like to politely ask you to leave this town."_

"Does she really think she can tell someone such as Jotaro Kujo to leave?" Sona growled in annoyance this time, her eyes narrowing. "The nerve of her…"

" _My mistress sees him as a threat, but that doesn't mean we think he's unbeatable. As Keicho Nijimura said, a Stand grows with how it's user progresses, and I've done a lot of growing."_ The Devil Stand user declared proudly with a chuckle. _"So maybe not now I'll be able to beat him, but perhaps I'll keep growing until I do, hm? But my mistress isn't dumb. She knows not to pick a fight with a hero from the Joestar bloodline so easily. So she's offering him an out, right here and now. By extension, one would also be given to Josuke Higashikata and Okuyasu Nijimura."_

"Huh? Us?" Josuke blinked in question, raising a brow curiously.

"Why the hell would I take your out, bastard?! Especially after you killed my big bro?!" Okuyasu demanded furiously, slamming his fist into the table the phone sat on.

" _For two reasons: the first being that my mistress knows neither you or Josuke Higashikata have real ties to Rias Gremory or Sona Sitri, and are still human. They've already been marked as targets by my Mistress, but you two have the chance now to stay out of it."_

"You think I'll just ditch my friends like that?" Josuke muttered lowly, the thought of it causing his blood to boil a bit.

"What made you think you could even convince me to stay out of it?" Okuyasu spat, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "If anythin', I got more reason to want to kill you than anyone!"

" _It's the second reason: Elmenhilde wished for us to keep you out of it. She's really developed a soft spot for you."_ The voice chuckled in amusement, causing Okuyasu to pause for a moment.

"E-Elmy-chan?" Okuyasu mumbled before sweating a bit. "Wait, did she know that… that you guys would go after my big bro…?"

" _That doesn't matter now."_ The man on the line huffed. _"What matters is that you've all been warned. My mistress's grudge is against the Gremory household, not you humans. Jotaro Kujo, what is your answer?"_

All eyes turned to the elder Stand user, who stood there silent with his eyes shaded by the brim of his hat. In reality, most of them knew it wasn't truly his business. If he had left, he wouldn't become a target for a Devil nor would he become involved further in the affairs of Heaven and Hell. The decision was completely his, and none could complain about his choice. Jotaro walked forward to stand directly in front of the phone, tilting his head up so his eyes became visible.

"Yare yare daze. It looks like I'll be staying a little longer in this town than I thought." He answered firmly, causing the voice on the other side of the line to grunt in shock. "After all, you still have the Bow and Arrow and plan to make more Stand users. That is my business either way. Also…" He tilted his hat down and gave a rather relaxed expression. "Perhaps this is an old habit I've carried with me since I was a teen, but when someone tells me to leave it makes me want to tell them to piss off and stay as long as I please."

"J-Jotaro-san is… so cool…" Josuke muttered in shock, the rest of the students nodding in agreement.

"Th-this is the great hero who defeated the Joestar bloodlines greatest enemy…" Sona muttered to herself as her glasses started to fog up. "S-so amazing… I'm glad I came to Kuoh…"

" _ **Don't say we didn't give you fair warning when you die, Jotaro Kujo**_ _!"_ The man on the line roared in anger before the phone started to spark, exploding on the table and causing the group to instinctively take a step back and flinch. When the smoke started to rise from where the phone once was, they could hear a faint but menacing laughter from the remains. The group started to relax after a moment, the threat starting to fade from their minds.

"It seems we'll be working quite a bit together." Jotaro declared, turning toward the door and walking out. "I think we'll end the meeting there for now. We're going to have to be careful when we communicate, though. If this Stand can operate through electricity then he could possibly be watching us at any time."

"That's true. Perhaps I can set up a safe room for us." Rias suggested, holding her chin. "We'll make it with conditional runes that will keep out Devils we don't want. Hopefully it will be enough for private meetings."

"I'll try and look up surrounding properties in town we could use. I'll be sure to keep it to myself which ones I find suitable." Akeno volunteered this time with a gentle smile.

"I'll try to extend my resources as well. Perhaps there have been some words through the grapevine revolving around Myrcella and what she's been up to lately." Sona supplied this time. "I'll also make sure my peerage is ready for a fight. She may come for us at any time."

"If that's it for now, then I'll be taking my leave. Be careful all of you." Jotaro told them before opening the door and leaving the group first.

"Take care, Jotaro-san. I will also prepare my peerage for the battles to come." Rias agreed before turning to Josuke and Okuyasu. "We received Jotaro-san's answer, but what are yours? I have a feeling I know Josuke's but what is yours Okuyasu Nijimura?"

Okuyasu blinked for a moment before furrowing his brow. "I'm definitely in. Even if Elmy-chan is tellin' me to stay out of it, there's no way I can. Not after what happened to my brother…"

"Okuyasu…" Josuke muttered, thinking to offer words in sympathy but unsure what to say. Instead, he sighed and turned back to Rias with a small grin. "But you know I'm all in. You can't get rid of me that easy."

"I knew we could always count on you." Rias giggled knowingly before turning to Okuyasu. He seemed deep in thought once more, his gaze focused on the ground and shoulders stiff. She gave a more sympathetic look and stood up. "Okuyasu-san. As you know, we've already moved your brother's body from the power lines. If you'd like, I can have a proper burial set up for him this week."

The punk widened his eyes when he heard that, looking at Rias in shock. "Y-you'd really do that for me?"

"Of course. I feel partially responsible, as you and your brother were dragged into this because of our family feud." Rias admitted with a small frown before smiling. "And also because you helped save my Bishop Asia. I am thankful for that."

"Yeah, it was pretty cool of you to do that before." Issei admitted with a small smile before narrowing his eyes. "Just don't get any funny ideas with her."

"O-oh, it was nothin'... I was just actin' on what my heart told me…" Okuyasu admitted, rubbing the back of his head.

"Perhaps. And I will do the same, which is to help you with the burial." A thought suddenly occurred to the young Devil, making her smile a bit wider. "And since you're becoming more involved with us, I do have another idea for you. Akeno, please take Okuyasu-san to the main building. I'd like to make him a couple suggestions."

"Of course! This way, Okuyasu-san. Please follow me." Akeno told the punk with a gentle smile before heading out the door.

"U-um, okay…" Okuyasu muttered before looking back at Josuke and Issei in question, unsure what the plan was. The two only shrugged and motioned for him to do as bid, the punk giving in and catching up to the raven haired girl.

"Well, if that's all for us, I think I'm gonna head home." Josuke yawned, stretching his shoulders. "I've had a really busy day and I think I'm ready to go to bed already." He admitted, scratching his chin. "If you need anything, you know to call me." He said with a thumbs up before heading out.

"we'll be heading home with him too, president. Who knows what trouble he could get in again in one day." Issei chuckled, looking to his master for approval.

"Of course, I think you've all earned a rest. Do be careful out there." Rias told them as she waved goodbye, the three doing the same before exiting. Rias' smile slowly faded, the red head taking a deep breath and moving to her chair, resting quietly in it.

"I'm actually a bit surprised you're willing to take this all on as well." Sona declared, quickly reminding Rias she was still not alone in the room, her and Tsubaki standing close to the exit.

"What do you mean? This involves me as much as anyone else." Rias pointed out, leaning on one hand.

"Perhaps, but you have quite a bit on your plate coming soon." Sona explained, immediately causing Rias to frown deeper and let her eyes drift down to half lidded.

"It's not going to happen. I won't let it." Rias vaguely dismissed, though her voice seemed weary.

"I trust you will do your best. But it would be smart to have all hands on board if you wish to succeed." Sona replied, crossing her arms under her chest. "You need to stop beating around the bush and ask him straight out to join your peerage. No more joking around or he won't take you serious."

"What's this, Sona? Are you giving up on Josuke-kun now?" Rias attempted to tease, though her voice was rather weak when she spoke.

"I'm willing to take a step back in my attempts to claim him for the sake of your victory." Sona declared with a small smile. "But you're running out of time, Rias. Don't wait too long."

Rias's frown became a bit more contemplative and tired, making her sigh. "Should things go poorly for me, I may not be able to assist in the fight against Myrcella when the time comes. Will you be alright shouldering that responsibility to help Jotaro-san?"

"I will do everything within my power to assist him, do not worry." Sona promised with a firm nod. "With that, I shall take my leave. Please do what you have to before it's too late." She finished before she and Tsubaki gave a polite bow and left the room. Rias remained in her chair, quiet as she gave their conversation some thought.

"Not much time left, huh?" Rias muttered, glancing out the window to see the fading sunlight as night approached. "Where did all the time go?" She wondered before looking back at her time since she met Issei and Josuke. A small smile crept on her lips, becoming rather nostalgic of their adventures. "It was quite fun despite the circumstances… I hope they might continue…"

* * *

The next day seemed to start like normal as usual for Josuke, almost as if he hadn't just been in a life or death experience the day before. He woke up at his usual time, washed up and get dressed. Currently, he was spending his spare morning time making sure his hair was perfect, moving the front of the pompadour to make sure it had it's perfect spring to it. He hadn't heard from Okuyasu since they split up in the club room the day before, Josuke's mind wandering to the punk and wondering if he was doing alright. _He did just go through something pretty intense…._

A doorbell ring came from the hall, causing Josuke to pause in his brushing. "Josuke, get that!" His mother called out, leaving him little choice to ignore it. The tall teen sighed and set down his hairbrush, walking to the door and pulling it open.

"Just give me a minute, Issei, Asia. I've gotta finish gettin-"

"Yo, Josuke!" A familiar gruff voice greeted, causing the Stand user to blink and look up at the punk that was now standing in front of his door. Okuyasu had a rather bright and goofy grin on his face, a school bag under his arm. "Let's go to school!"

"... Huh?" Josuke muttered in surprise, glancing past him to see Asia and Issei with bright grins of their own as they awaited the tallest of them to join their walk.

"Guess who just got registered into our school?" Issei chuckled with a small grin.

"This reminds me a bit of when I joined you guys too. It makes me so happy!" Asia giggled.

"Thanks to Akeno-chan and Rias-chan, I was able to get into your guy's school real easy!" Okuyasu informed his fellow Stand user with a kind grin. "Those gals aren't bad! I don't get a bad vibe from them like I did Myrcella."

"Yeah, they're good people… but I didn't think I'd see you on your feet already." Josuke answered honestly, but the teen only gave a shrug.

"I'd rather be doin' somethin' than stayin' home thinkin' about it." Okuyasu explained with a sigh before looking back toward his home. "But man, I can't believe your house is, like, **literally** so close to mine!"

"Yeah, you could definitely call that a shocking truth…" Josuke mumbled as he continued to process the fact that Okuyasu, who was their enemy the day before, was now greeting him in the morning like an old friend ready to start the day.

"Come on! Let's hurry up and go to school!" Okuyasu urged excitedly, apparently happy about the idea of attending Kuoh Academy.

"Oh, who are these two?" Josuke heard his mom from behind him approach, turning back to see her greeting them with a kind smile. "Are you friends these two made at school?"

"Hello! I'm Okuyasu Nijimura, ma'am!" The fellow Stand user announced confidently. "I'm one of their newer friends!"

"G-good morning, ma'am! I'm Asia Argento! It's a pleasure to meet you!" Asia announced, bowing politely to Tomoko who smirked.

"Oh my, you both seem very kind. Please take care of my boneheaded son." Tomoko giggled, bowing back to them.

"Huh?" Josuke muttered in shock, unsure what was actually happening right now, looking between Okuyasu and his mother.

"Now come on in! I'm about to make some coffee, you two should have some while you wait for him to finish getting ready!" Tomoko offered kindly as she ignored her son, turning back to the kitchen.

"I-if it's no trouble to you I don't mind!" Asia smiled softly before walking in past Josuke first. She wasn't interested in coffee, but she was interested in the kind of person Josuke's mother was.

"Really?! Don't mind if I do!" Okuyasu agreed loudly with a grin before walking past Josuke now but stopping in front of him. "Your mom is totally hot." He whispered with a chuckle, only causing the Stand user's eye to twitch in further shock as he pressed his back against the door. Okuyasu didn't seem to notice, walking forward to sit with Josuke's mother. Issei let out a sheepish chuckle, rubbing his neck and placing a hand on his best friend's shoulder.

"Looks like our group is getting even bigger. Isn't that great?" Issei attempted to supply to Josuke seeing his obvious uncertainty.

"Yeah… Just great… and heavy…" He muttered in response before sliding down the door to the ground.,

 **To be continued...**

 **This chapter was both easy and difficult to get out. Easy as in the first half that was based off of the actual DIU chapter went by fairly quick. Difficult as in after that I kept worrying about my delivery of their group meeting and Okuyasu being introduced to the others. Honestly I feel like he'd be more stricken by the hot girls of the club, but since things with his brother just occurred I feel like he'd be more mindful of that than of them. Don't worry though, Okuyasu will have plenty of bonding time with the ORC and will even get acquainted with the other two of the Pervert Trio XD**

 **So now my OC's identity has been revealed. I felt that it would be fitting to have someone related to Rias (though not completely) becoming a villain sort of fit here. I wanted her to have a true motivation for her actions and not just that she wanted to build a great army of Stand user Devils. Even though that's not a bad motivation in and of itself lol.**

 **Alright, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter despite all the exposition, but hey I have to progress the story after all :P Please leave a review, favorite and follow for me!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Stray Devil's never have it easy. They don't truly deserve to, after all, as they usually betray their former master or even kill them. This one, however, was one of the horrendous few who went far enough as to rape and kill his own master for her troubles. He did it out of lust and greed, wanting to be free and also wishing to rob her of dignity before meeting her end. And so his current predicament was wholly deserved, as he now found himself running for his life through the abandoned warehouse on the docks of Kuoh. He was not quite deformed and upheaval as Viser, but his facial features had taken a turn for wretched. His body was still modestly small in form, the size of a human, but his arms had turned into blade like chains which he could use to lash out. Not that it did him any good in this situation.

"I've found him!" Issei called out as he was only ten or so meters behind the Stray, causing him to groan in fear before summoning a magic circle.

"Get lost, you royal family stooge!" The Stray growled, a barrage of small blades shooting out at the brunette to slow him down.

"You'll have to try harder than that, asshole!" Issei scoffed, holding up his red bracer as a green aura shined from it. A veil of it's energy formed a shield in front of him, blocking the attack harmlessly. At seeing this, the Stray Devil cursed in frustration before turning around and starting to run again.

 **DORA!** He quickly found a fist meeting his jaw, launching him in the air and nearly losing consciousness from the strike. "Where do you think you're going?" Josuke asked darkly, his Stand floating at his side.

"D-damn it…" The Stray coughed out, holding his now broken and bloody nose. "Wh-what kinda human are you?! Why don't you just piss off!" He growled, lashing out with his deformed arm at the Stand user. Josuke stood completely still, not even sending **Crazy Diamond** to block the attack, only to watch as Koneko crashed through the roof and planted her foot down on the arm and crushing it into the ground. The Stray cried out in pain, whimpering as he tried to crawl away.

"It's over for you, Stray Devil." Rias' melodias voice declared as she arrived, her and the rest of her peerage starting to surround him while he lie on the ground. "Your fate was sealed the moment you turned on your master and came to my territory. You will pay for your crimes."

"Y-you royals are so damn full of yourselves…" The Stray coughed out defiantly as he realized his life was forfeit at this point. He started to raise his one good arm at Rias shakily to try and launch one final attack. "Who cares if I betrayed my master?! She was a bitch anyway, and I gave it to her good! I wish I could do the same to-"

The Stray soon stopped as he found his arm suddenly missing, almost as if it had been erased right before his eyes. He screamed in horror, only for someone to grab his collar and pull him face to face, now meeting eyes with Okuyasu Nijimura.

"Guys like you really get what's fuckin' comin' to ya." Okuyasu growled in anger before using **The Hand** to deliver a devastating punch to his jaw. The Stray was utterly defeated, unable to fight back and completely at their mercy, though Okuyasu wasn't done with him. "Oi, shithead. Before we turn your ass into dust, do you know anythin' about a Myrcella Lucifuge?" He asked the Stray, causing him to grunt in confusion.

 _What the hell is he talkin' about?_ The Stray wondered, almost blurting out that he knew nothing about her until stopping himself. _W-wait a sec! I could work with this…_ "I-I ain't telling you shit about her! A-and if you do something' to me, you'll never know!" He hastily bluffed, a small smile of triumph edging in the corner of his mouth. Okuyasu actually stopped at this, biting his bottom lip and sweat rolling down his forehead.

"I-is that right?! F-fine! But you better tell us everythin', bastard!" Okuyasu warned, raising his fist as he felt tempted to strike him again despite thinking they had a lead.

"L-let me go! Let me go and I'll tell you what you wanna know!" The Devil lied desperately, preparing to activate a magic circle with his broken arm for a last ditch attempt to escape.

"Wait a sec, Okuyasu." Josuke intervened, crouching next to the two and glaring daggers at the Stray who quivered in fear now. "If you know about her, then tell me what the color of her hair is."

The Stray gulped as he was suddenly caught in his lie, forced to try and figure out the right answer or suffer the consequences. _Come on, you know that family name somewhere! You heard all those long ass names and they always have the same color hair for whatever dumb reason!_

"I-it's red, right?! Y-you know, like that Gra-Grayfia woman married to Sirzechs!" The Stray pointed out hastily, sweat rolling down his brow. Josuke and Okuyasu shared a knowing look before the large haired teen sighed.

"What a dumbass. Her husband had red hair. I guess this was another wild goose chase." Josuke relented, standing at full length with Okuyasu who only cursed.

"Wh-what are you going to do with me?!" The Stray cried out in fear, knowing that he was quite obviously caught in his lie.

"We're not gonna do anything with you." Josuke answered simply, looking down unsympathetically at him. The reports of his actions disgusted the tall teen after all.

"I'd like to beat your ass more for wastin' my breath, but I guess that's just cruel to do now." Okuyasu huffed, both teens looking past the Stray.

"Wh-what do you mean…?" He muttered before following their line of sight. Behind him, Rias stood there with a red magic circle shining in front of her, eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Begone, filthy creature. You shall now pay for your crimes against your master." She stated firmly, a black aura surrounding her hand.

"W-wait!" The Stray cried out in fear before it met it's end, the Power of Destruction erupting from the Crimson Princess and enveloping the Stray, eradicating his entire being from existence. Rias took a small breath and smiled before turning to her peerage and the Stand users.

"Let's go home."

"Yes, president!" Her peerage answered just like before. She let out a small giggle before seeing Okuyasu grind his teeth and stomp off toward the side of the building.

"Shit! Another bunk lead!" He cursed as he slammed his fist into the wall, most of the others now turning to him. It had been a week since his brother had been killed. Over this time, the Occult Research Club had followed on several happenings throughout the city, hoping to find some clue as to the whereabouts of their enemy. They had hoped the news of the Stray Devil might yield some results, but so far it had all been for naught. Rias frowned sympathetically, walking over and placing a hand on his shoulder in comfort.

"Don't be too disheartened, Okuyasu. It was to be expected that we couldn't find them so quickly." Rias spoke honestly, the punk letting out a small tired groan and looking down at the ground. "But don't worry. We will find Myrcella and stop her plans." She declared determinedly, giving a smile before looking back at the others. "Everyone, let's do our best for my brother's sake and Okuyasu-san's. No matter how long it might…" She suddenly trailed off, her grin failing her for a moment and her eyes distant. The others looked at one another in question, even Okuyasu pausing to look at her. Rias sighed after some time, rubbing her head. "Sorry about that. I had a brief… migraine for a moment."

"A-are you alright, president?" Issei asked in concern, taking a step toward his master. She shook her head and put on a strong smile for her peerage.

"I'm quite fine. Just know we'll do what we can. Now let's head back, shall we?" She told them, turning to Akeno who began to make a large magic circle appear at her feet, the rest of the peerage joining her.

"That was a bit anti-climactic for her speech…" Josuke whispered to Issei as he walked up next to him. "What do you think that was about?"

"I-I'm not sure. But maybe we're overthinking it?" Issei suggested with a shrug. Despite his words, both boys didn't put much stock in the idea. Rias had been acting strange all week since the meeting with Jotaro. She had been caught zoning out, seeming heavily unfocused, and even once in a foul enough mood to scare both Josuke and Issei from saying much. She of course apologized later, but continued to leave them in the dark about what was wrong. Not even the rest of her peerage had known when asked, save for Akeno who seemed to have some insight. But the Queen didn't shed any light on it, most likely at the behest of her master.

"Well, regardless, it's not going to do any good dwelling on it." Josuke sighed before glancing at Okuyasu who still seemed to be put out. He shared a glance with Issei before heading to join the others at the Magic Circle, while the brunette stayed behind and punched Okuyasu playfully in the shoulder.

"Come on, don't scramble that brain of yours thinking about it." Issei told the Stand user, crossing his arms and giving a smile. "Besides, tomorrow I've got some real plans for us! You're gonna meet our other friends!"

"Other friends? You mean outside of these guys?" Okuyasu asked with a quirked brow, starting to walk forward as the two talked.

"That's right~! They're my pals from before I became a Devil! Now you're gonna see how things are really done at Kuoh academy!" Issei laughed very oddly, rubbing his hands together and huffing out of his nose as his cheeks turned red from the many ideas he had for the next day.

"Somethin' about that face you're makin' scares me…"

* * *

"Wh-what?! This guy is gonna hang out with us?!" Matsuda blurted out in shock. It was currently lunch at Kuoh Academy, and Issei was now taking the time with Josuke to introduce Okuyasu to the rest of the Pervert Trio. They had been unable to do so before because the punk teen had been getting caught up in certain classes and filling up paperwork for his stay at the school the previous week. Now, with some free time, they took advantage of it to get him acquainted with their non-Devil friends. Though the two didn't seem quite to be very welcoming to the tall teen.

"Yeah, he is. Why do you make it sound like a bad thing?" Issei asked in annoyance, quirking a brow at the bald teen among them.

"I-it's not that it's bad, per say, but it's quite out of the blue…" Motohama pointed out this time, pushing his glasses up nervously before leaning in toward Issei. "Are you sure this guy's cool? He looks more like a street punk that's likely to beat us up than anything…"

"Oi, I can hear you, dumbass." Okuyasu pointed out, standing only a couple meters away with Josuke at his side who sighed in exasperation. "You got a problem with me?!"

"N-no!" Motohama and Matsuda yelped in fear as they hugged each other and back away from the taller teen. Issei took a step between them and glared at Okuyasu.

"Okuyasu, these are my good friends. I know they might sound like jerks, but they're good guys. Come on you three, let's start over. Just make friends, alright?" He told them, stepping back and giving a hopeful smile. The tall teen bit his bottom lip before releasing a sigh and turning to the rest of the Pervert Trio.

"Sorry 'bout that. I'm Okuyasu Nijimura. Nice to meet you." The punk introduced himself, the duo somewhat relaxing as he did so and released one another. Motohama stepped up first bravely and held out his hand to shake.

"I-it's cool. I'm Motohama. The brains of our group." The spectacled teen bragged somewhat, earning a chuckle from Josuke.

"Yeah right, you guys only think with your crotches." Josuke teased, causing Motohama to flip him the bird in annoyance. Okuyasu was confused by what Josuke was implying, but was quickly pulled from that when the bald teen finally stepped forward.

"W-well, if Issei and Josuke are willing to vouch for you, you can't be too bad. I'm Matsuda. Former sports star of the school and most successful of the Pervert Trio." He declared, holding his chin with a cheshire smile while the other two grunted in annoyance.

"Pervert… Trio?" Okuyasu muttered, processing what had just been said. "Wait, you mean you guys are…" He mumbled, looking from Issei to Josuke, the latter of which shook his head desperately.

"I'm not one of the pervy three, that's them." Josuke quickly dismissed, pointing at Issei and the others.

"I guess we didn't have time to tell you before, but I have a dream." Issei began, ignoring the groan that came from Josuke. "A dream… to become the **Harem King**!"

Okuyasu blinked for a moment before his eyes turned into plates, his cheeks flaring with blush. "Wh-what?! A-a Harem King?!" He cried out in utter shock. "Wh-what kinda dream is that?!"

"A true man's dream, Okuyasu!" Motohama suddenly declared, wrapping an arm around Issei's neck and sniffling. "One that we all share and will reach out to the stars for, if that's what it takes!"

"We will have our hands on the tits of the hottest chicks of this school some day!" Matsuda proclaimed, joining the two and laughing lecherously as the three started to share an image of pure, bare skin tits of the many girls they had spied on and even the ones that were left to their imagination, doing a small dance together. It had been some time since they were able to enjoy their shared perversion due to Issei's recently busy schedule. Okuyasu watched in a mixture of disgust and amazement, while Josuke only rolled his eyes, having expected such a silly declaration from the boys.

"I-I don't know if I should be impressed or creeped out…" Okuyasu finally muttered, glancing at Josuke as sweat dripped down his brow.

"Mostly just disgust if anything." Josuke sighed, rubbing the back of his head. Okuyasu's eye twitched for a moment before blinking.

"Hey, don't you guys hang out with that Kiba guy too?" He asked curiously, causing the three to pause in their dancing and grind their teeth.

"Well, he's usually-" Josuke began until Issei jumped forward.

"We don't hang out with the **pretty** boy. He's the bane of our existence!" Issei declared with a huff, quickly joined by his fellow perverts as they made the tall punk slightly recoil as they moved forward intensely.

"Yeah! Have you **seen** all the girls that hang around him?!" Motohama asked before glancing out the window. "There! There he is now!" He said pointing. Okuyasu followed his line of sight to see the blond in mention, widening his eyes in shock when he realized he was surrounded by a group of girls. He was happily walking with them all as the girls seemed to be fawning his every step, trailing just shortly behind him as if none were worthy to walk next to him.

"N-no way… that…" Okuyasu muttered out before gnashing his teeth and gripping his fists. "T-that lucky bastard! I can't believe he's that popular!" He cried out, his eyes tearing slightly as he watched in envy. "I've never even had one girl act like that with me…"

"It's guys like him that make our lives a living hell!" Matsuda sniffled, wrapping an arm around the punk's shoulders as he now felt more connected to him. "In fact, if Josuke wasn't so chill we'd hate the hell out of him too!"

"Hey!" Josuke snapped indignantly, frowning at the perverts words.

"J-Josuke too? Is he that popular?" Okuyasu asked, looking at the three in question.

"Josuke might hang out with us, but the girls sure do love him. He tries to play it off, but he's not fooling anyone." Issei explained this time, only for the mentioned Stand user to click his tongue.

"I'm telling you guys, I'm not that-"

"Hi, Josuke-kun!" A girl called out to him from down the hall, causing the five to glance down and see several waving expectantly at the tall teen. Josuke's eye twitched at the timing of the aforementioned greeting, but as a gentlemen, he raised his hand and waved back. The girls giggled as he did so and whispered among themselves as they started to leave. Josuke slowly looked back at the four, a small bead of sweat rolling down his cheek as he saw their half lidded eyes glaring at him, including Okuyasu this time.

"... Sh-shut up…" He muttered, rolling his eyes and turning his head away from them. He suddenly felt an arm wrap around his shoulders, looking to the side to see a familiar face that caused him to sweat nervously.

"Hey~, guys! What are you all up to?" A feminine voice asked, causing the three to immediately pause in their funny dance and release one another. Okuyasu glanced at the speaker, a girl with red hair and two braids that went down her shoulders. She had a fairly normal stature, a bit short with a typical bust size. She wore large round glasses with purple rims, her eyes narrowed mischievously at the group of boys.

"A-Aika!" They cried out in fear, immediately backing away. Josuke looked like he wanted to escape, but Aika tightened her arm around his neck as a cat-like grin spread across her lips.

"What's wrong with you guys?" Okuyasu asked with a raised brow, eyes looking back and forth between the perverts and the small girl curiously and seeing the way she made even Josuke fluster up.

"Why hello there, you must be the new student! I'm Aika Kiriyuu, nice to meet you." Aika introduced, turning her grin toward Okuyasu before looking him up and down and pushing her glasses up. "Oh my, you're not bad either. I guess birds of a flock, huh Josuke-san? My **big** buddy?" She goaded, the tall teen blushing and keeping his gaze opposite of Aika as he barely kept his composure with his arms crossed.

"St-stop lookin' at me like that… It's like you're undressing me with your eyes..." Josuke quivered a bit before looking at Okuyasu. "To put it simply, she's basically the female equivelant of those three…"

"Eh?! You're a pervert too?!" Okuyasu cried out in shock, jaw slightly slacking. "B-but you look like any other normal cute girl…"

"Aw, why thank you! You guys have a real lady killer here, huh?" Aika giggled while wiggling her eyebrows at the tall punk.

"D-don't let her fool you, Okuyasu! She may look cute, but she's a pure-blooded lech!" Motohama declared fiercely, apparently working up his courage and pointing at the red head. "She possesses a similar skill to mine! I am able to tell the exact sizes of a girl's body just by looking at them. But Aika is able tell the size of…" He gulped once he paused, unsure what to exactly say.

"Hey, guys!" A familiar voice interrupted the conversation, saving the boys momentarily as Asia approached them from down the hall. "Ah, Aika-chan! I was wondering where you went off to." the blond smiled at the bespectacled female who smiled kindly in response.

"Sorry, Asia-chan. I just wanted a head start on seeing the boys." The bespectacled girl apologized with a giggle before Issei hopped forward.

"A-Asia! Don't tell me you're hanging out with this monster!" Issei cried out in fear, hoping that the sweet, innocent Asia would not be corrupted by Aika and her rather lecherous ways.

"Hey pot, have you met kettle?" Josuke muttered with a sigh, though the moment Aika pressed further up against him he blushed again.

"Aika-chan is very nice to me, Issei-san! She was my first friend in class!" Asia dismissed with a gentle smile.

"Yeah, come on guys. Don't act like that." Aika giggled once again before finally releasing Josuke once more, the tall teen taking a deep breath of relief as he backed away from her, and moving to Asia's side. "As her fellow classmate, I think it's my obligation to take care of her."

"I do have a bad feeling about this…" Josuke mumbled under his breath, rubbing the back of his head.

"So what are you five up to?" Aika said, deciding to ignore the tall teen's comments for now. Motohama and Matsuda quickly grabbed Issei and pulled him back with sly grins.

" **We** actually had some plans for lunch today while we had the chance. Isn't that right, Issei? Sorry, but no girls allowed." Matsuda declared, causing Issei to blink in question before a look of realization hit him and he grinned for a brief moment before shaking his head and trying to look serious.

"Yep, that's completely right! Sorry, Asia-chan. I promise to hang out with you later, okay? The boys and I are trying to get Okuyasu here fitted in with us." Issei declared, causing the tall teen in question to blink.

"Ah, that's fine. I don't mind spending more time with Aika-chan and the others in class." Asia assured with her usual soft smile.

"Try not to get into too much trouble, boys." Aika chuckled, apparently having some idea of what they were planning before winking at Josuke, the pompadour'd teen feeling a chill run down his spine. "Come on, Asia-chan. There's a lot I should tell you about boys since we have the time…" She trailed off as she wrapped an arm around the blond's shoulders and walked off with her.

"I-is Asia-chan gonna be alright?" Okuyasu asked with a gulp, apparently picking up on how intimidating Aika was sexually.

"She'll be fine. I'm just happy to see Asia's making some friends. Even if it's Aika." Issei admitted with a content look as he watched the two return to their classroom.

"Aika's a little… intense but she's not a bad girl either." Josuke pointed out this time as he started to relax once again, leaning against the wall and turning toward the Pervert Trio. "So, what's this big thing you guys have planned? Though I'm pretty sure I know what it is."

"Well, dear Josuke, if you must ask, I will admit that Motohama and I found a rather glorious spot that we can use for our… scientific needs." Matsuda chuckled, his cheeks turning red as he thought about it.

"Scientific needs? I thought you guys had somethin' fun planned…" Okuyasu dumbly mumbled, looking a bit disappointed. Josuke rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"They're basically just gonna go peek in one of the girls locker rooms or something like that." Josuke bluntly put it, a knowing look on his face. The punk immediately gaped in shock, blush creeping on his face as he looked at the three for confirmation.

"That's exactly right~! We've got the best seats in the house and haven't been caught yet!" Motohama declared proudly, pounding his chest. "It might be a tight squeeze, but we can make it work! Okuyasu, since you're gonna be one of our new bros, we can get you a seat in the locker next to us. Sorry, but you're too big to be in the same one." He offered. Okuyasu only continued to look flabbergasted, staring at them for a moment before Josuke finally put his hand on his shoulder.

"Look, I don't really mind their peeking habits at this point. Well, more like I'm numb to them now. But it's only your first week here. You don't want to get labeled as the new pervert at the school by joining these three." Josuke sagely advised, his fellow Stand user now glancing at him as his words started to sink in.

"Only because you didn't stop the girls from saying those things!" Matsuda accused, pointing a finger at Josuke. "I bet you're the one who chimed the term 'Pervert Trio'!"

"Hey, I **tried** to talk you guys up a bit when we first got to this school when I could!" Josuke snapped back with narrowed eyes. "But within the first week you guys ruined it by peeking. **Several times**. As if one ass kicking wasn't enough to teach you."

"No pain, no gain, Josuke! The tits will always be worth it!" Issei declared proudly, air huffing out of his nose before glancing up at Okuyasu. "So, are you in?"

Okuyasu suddenly felt all eyes on him now, pressure hitting him as he struggled to figure it out on his own. _Sh-shit, this is why I wish my bro was here..._ "I-I think I'll… sit this one out. I did just start school here…" he finally answered, earning some disappointed groans from the Pervert Trio while Josuke chuckled and gave him a thumbs up.

"Well, perhaps another time. It's never too late to corrupt you." Issei cackled evilly before the three turned around, arms now wrapped around each other's shoulders. "Well then, we're off! Catch you guys after school~!" He said before they dashed of, leaving a dust cloud in their wake. Okuyasu watched them with a small sweat drop on the back of his head, glancing back at Josuke.

"They really are huge perverts. I thought it was some kinda exaggeration... " The punk admitted, scratching the back of his head.

"It's a very accurate title. But you made the right choice." Josuke chuckled, patting his shoulder with a small smirk. "Those guys **always** get caught. Or Issei gets left behind and caught by himself. Still, either wouldn't be good for you."

"Eh?! But they sounded so sure it would work!" Okuyasu blanched, only for Josuke to roll his eyes.

"They always act like they have the 'perfect' hiding places." Josuke huffed, making finger quotes when he said perfect, before he started to walk down the hall with his fellow Stand user quickly walking pace with him. "Nine times out of ten I have to go and help them get out of a bad situation once they've been caught. Which should be in… fifteen to twenty minutes." He mused, glancing at his phone's time. "Until then, let's get some lunch."

"A-ah, alright then." Okuyasu agreed, deciding to just go along with whatever Josuke wanted now. "What should we eat?"

"Not sure. Don't really want anything from the school right now." Josuke hummed in thought for a moment before an idea came to him. "Oh, let's go to Owsons! We can get one of their decent boxed lunches right now."

"That doesn't sound so bad, but I've only got around five hundred yen on me right now. I don't think I can get a drink with it if we do." Okuyasu grumbled, knowing that he didn't have much to spare since he had to maintain a certain amount to get by for the next few years alone.

"Don't worry about that part! I've got it handled." Josuke declared giving a thumbs up in reassurance.

* * *

As planned, the two grabbed their lunches and returned to the school, Josuke leading Okuyasu toward the old school building where their club resided. "What the hell, I thought you had some secret place you go to for drinks or somethin'." Okuyasu complained as they walked through the dimly lit building.

"I never said something like that. I just said I had it handled." Josuke waved off before holding his index finger up. "Besides, this is just as nice as anything else. Sometimes during lunch, Issei and I come to the club room. Akeno-chan is usually there, sometimes one of the others as well, and always offers to make tea or coffee." He explained, the punk now humming in understanding.

"Oh, that's pretty cool! Especially if it helps me save money for lunch." Okuyasu chuckled a little before his face turned a bit red. "Sp-speaking of the girls…. They're all pretty damn hot, huh?" Okuyasu admitted, holding his chin in thought. "The first time I met 'em, I was way too preoccupied to care. But now…"

"You sound a lot like Issei when you say stuff like that." Josuke sighed as they reached the main club room, grabbing the doorknob. "Trust me when I say he's got plenty to say on the matter."

"Oh, come on! Don't tell me you're not interested, Josuke! All these chicks are scorchin' hot!" Okuyasu laughed, nudging him with his elbow as his eyebrows wiggled knowingly. "Don't say you didn't notice."

"Come on, can we **not** talk about girls? It's basically all Issei talks about so I'd like a breather from it." Josuke groaned as he opened the door while looking back at him. Due to being distracted, he didn't hear the faint sound of running water behind the shower curtain near Rias' desk. "Especially if it has to do with our friends."

"Ah, come on! You'd have to be gay not to notice!" Okuyasu argued,sticking his bottom lip out. He suddenly blinked and narrowed his eyes at Josuke and slightly leaned back after they entered the room. "You're not, right? I mean it doesn't matter to me, but-"

" **Shut up**! I'm not gay!" Josuke snapped in annoyance and grinding his teeth before shaking his head. "Don't bother trying to wrap your dumb mind around it, it's not that-wait." He suddenly stopped, turning his head to listen. Before he finished speaking though, the water had already turned off. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Okuyasu dumbly replied, having still been unaware of the sound before. "I didn't hear anythin'."

"It sounded like the show...er…" Josuke muttered before paling. "Ah shit…"

"Ah, Josuke-kun! Okuyasu-san! Good afternoon." The alluring voice of Akeno spoke as the shower curtain was pulled back. Both boys slowly looked over to see a still wet Akeno with a bathrobe on, her hair down instead of in a ponytail per usual. The robe was rather thin and short, stopping mid thigh at the bottom and sticking to her moist skin which was still somewhat showing through the fabric. Needless to say, her current state made both boys gape, Josuke's cheeks red with embarrassment while Okuyasu had steam coming out of his nose and ears, completely taken back by the beauty standing before them half naked.

"I'm sorry to have taken a shower right now, I wasn't sure if you boys were coming today since you ran a bit late. I missed the chance last night because of our mission so I thought I'd take a shower here once I got the chance." Akeno explained with a giggle, acting as casual as ever as she tried to dry her hair with a towel. "If you boys would like, I can still make you some tea."

"N-no! Th-that's alright, Akeno-chan! Don't strain yourself over it!" Josuke laughed panickedly, quickly turning and starting to push Okuyasu back toward the door. "W-we'll find somewhere else to hang out!" He tried to dismiss, though leaving became difficult as his equally large companion was nearly planted into the ground, jaw still slack as he stared upon the raven haired beauty.

"Nonsense, I'd hate to make you both run around to find somewhere else to eat." Akeno shook her head with a serene smile, leaning down and grabbing the tray with the tea pot and cups. Doing so made the top of her ample breasts stick out more, water glistening off of her beautiful white skin.

"S-seriously, no trouble for us at all! Okay we'll see you after school-bye!" Josuke hurriedly continued to push, this time actually getting the punk out the door and shutting it behind him.

Akeno raised a brow as he did so before giggling. "He's so fun to tease~."

Josuke and Okuyasu both leaned against the wall of the clubroom hall, the former leaning on his knees and taking a deep breath. "Seriously… why did they put a shower in there?"

"I'm… so happy I came to this school…" Okuyasu muttered, a goofy yet dreamy smile on his face. Josuke opened his mouth to comment before sighing in defeat.

"Let's just… go wait for Issei to get caught…"

* * *

"Are you okay, Issei-san?" Asia asked worriedly as her Sacred Gear shined from her hands. As Josuke predicted, the boy had been caught in the act along with the other two of the Pervert Trio. Their luck turned out to be even worse as it was Koneko who found them before anyone else. The petite girl had given him the beating he wholly deserved, soon after handing him over to Josuke to take back to the clubroom.

"N-not really…" Issei's muffled voice said through his swollen lips before glaring at Josuke with his black eyes. "Why couldn't you heal me earlier?"

Josuke was currently leaning on one arm against the couch, glancing at Issei lazily as Koneko moved past the brunette to join him on the couch. "A little cat asked me not to. Plus you deserved it." He explained simply. As Koneko took a seat, without even looking at Josuke, the two used their free hands to high five one another, looking as casual as possible.

"Man! You really got beat down!" Okuyasu laughed boisterously, holding his stomach as he leaned over the center of the couch. "I'm so glad I didn't go with you guys."

"Why must you always give into your desires so easily?" Rias sighed tiredly, giving a small smile.

"W-well, I just kinda went with the flow when Motohama and Matsuda brought it up…" Issei admitted to his shame, scratching his cheek as he was now healed thanks to Asia.

"I-Issei-san!" Asia cried out, her cheeks red as she looked rather determined. "If you want to look at naked bodies so badly, then…" she began before shutting her eyes and grabbing the bottom of her skirt, ready to pull it up. Josuke and Okuyasu widened their eyes as the blond did so before Issei reached out and grabbed her hands.

"A-Asia-chan, no! That's not what this is about!" he desperately tried to discourage Asia so that she wouldn't go so far.

"Issei! What did I say about corrupting Asia?!" Josuke growled in anger, tempted to get up and punch the brunette out.

"I-I swear, I haven't done anything to her!" The brunette cried out waving his arms in surrender.

"She does have a point, though." Rias supplied, getting back on topic. "You really don't have to keep peeping. You can just ask me if you'd like to see my own body." She offered very freely.

"Huh?!" Josuke and Okuyasu cried out in complete shock, Issei standing up and gaping at his master.

"S-seriously, president?!"

"Of course. After all, you have seen me naked several times." Rias reasoned, Issei blushing as he rubbed his head sheepishly.

"W-well yeah, but…" He muttered before groaning in pain, Asia reaching out and grabbing his cheek and tugging on it hard.

"Geez, Issei!" She cried out jealously, her own cheeks a tint of red again. Rias raised a brow before letting out a soft giggle and giving a smile as she watched the two.

"Wh-what the hell?! You lucky bastard! Havin' two girls offer t-th- **that**!" Okuyasu snapped at the brunette, tears starting to fill his eyes. "I-I thought you understood what it meant to not have girls like that?!"

"W-wait, Okuyasu! It's not like that!" Issei exclaimed, feeling ashamed that he made the punk feel left out now.

"Seriously, though. You two shouldn't just be offering him that kinda stuff so easily." Josuke declared with a criticizing gaze at Rias and Asia and pointing a finger. "You're just enabling his shitty desires of peeking. He should be a man and get a girlfriend if that's what he wants."

"Aw~, are you feeling left out, Josuke-kun?" Akeno suddenly spoke, leaning over his shoulder from behind the couch, putting her quite close to his face until Josuke scooted away a bit from her nervously. "If it'll help, I can show you my body."

"Pl-please stop. I'm still recovering from earlier, Akeno-chan…" Josuke nearly pleaded, looking sideways as his cheeks reddened in embarrassment. The raven haired beauty only giggled in response before straightening up and walking over to a stack of papers on Rias' desk. Okuyasu was visibly drooling, apparently lost in the memory.

"Wh-what exactly happened earlier?!" Issei asked, now curious. But Rias held up a hand and shook her head.

"Sorry, but you've all wasted enough time as it is. It's time for you to head out for your contracts." She ordered, making the brunette blink and rub his head sheepishly.

"S-sorry, president. I'll be sure to get one today!" He said confidently, jumping to his feet and smiling at his fellow Devils. "Come on, guys! We're burning daylight!" He called before heading toward the door with his chest held high.

"I-Issei-san, wait!" Asia called out before quickly following after. Koneko only sighed before sparing a glance at Josuke,nodding to him before standing up and walking out.

"We'll see you guys later." Kiba called out as he walked in line with the small white haired girl. Their master walked over to the window of the room, watching the four walk off to their jobs. She listened to their idle chatter, her eyes landing on her lone pawn with care. She truly was happy to have made the boy part of her peerage, despite his misgivings. He was very caring and a hard worker, with much room for development. A small frown fell upon her features, knowing that things hadn't been going too well for him of late with his contracts.

"Isn't it quite funny?" Akeno suddenly spoke, pulling Rias' attention away from her pawn to look back at her. "Issei has yet to make a single successful contract with anyone. Despite this, he's been highly praised in the surveys we've received from our customers."

"Surveys?" Josuke repeated curiously, who had decided to start reading an issue of Ultra Jump once the others had left with Okuyasu sitting next to him doing the same. "You guys actually have people fill out a questionnaire like ones for customer service at a grocery store?"

"That's right. It's always good to receive feedback from customers about how our servants are doing." Akeno confirmed, holding the forms out to Josuke across the table. The tall teen raised a brow before taking the stack of papers in his hand and looking them over for himself. "Issei is quite popular with those he meets with, many appreciating his company. Sadly, he's still yet to form a pact with any of them."

"Devils sure have weird jobs…" Okuyasu hummed as he leaned in next to Josuke to read some of the papers that he was going through as well.

"Issei's probably just being way too chill with the people he meets." Josuke suggested with a small smirk, reading each compliment with a bit of pride for his friend before handing the papers back to Akeno. "He's pretty selfish, but not so much that he can straight out ask someone for payment just for hanging out, you know?"

"Perhaps, but it's not doing him any good." Rias suddenly suggested, causing the three to glance at her in question. "If this continues, I'm afraid he'll lose confidence in himself. He might take his failures, such as with the familiar incident, to heart and lose faith in himself. I need to focus my attention to him, so I can help him to keep trying." she declared thoughtfully, her eyes becoming focused as she glanced back out the window. Josuke and Okuyasu glanced at one another in question before shrugging, unsure of what to say to that. Akeno, however, took a much more bemused look.

"You seem more assertive than usual." The raven haired beauty pointed out, her master turning back to her queen with a raised brow.

"Is there something wrong with wanting to assist one of my servants?" Rias asked, sounding slightly sharp in her tone.

"It just seems a bit strange to me is all." Akeno admitted with a knowing smile. "You're usually one for sitting and observing when it comes to one of us. You do help when we need it, but you stay on the sidelines until our most desperate times of need."

"That does sound a bit like what happened with the whole Raynare thing." Josuke mused, leaning on one arm and glancing at Rias in question. "I didn't want to say anything until now, but is there something going on with-"

"I appreciate all of your concern." Rias quickly cut off, her jade green eyes shining as she spoke. "But these are my problems which I will deal with. Which includes Issei's training. I am the president of this club still, correct?" She added more kindly, a small smile gracing her lips. Akeno seemed to consider a response before releasing a sigh and forcing a smile.

"Of course, president." She answered before standing from her seat. "If you don't mind, I think I'll head home now."

"We'll walk you out. I was planning to stop by Owson's to get some more Jump magazines anyway." Josuke declared, standing up with Okuyasu now.

"So no big monster chase tonight?" Okuyasu asked curiously, knowing it wasn't usually routine to do so, but nonetheless used to the idea of pursuing leads with the group.

"Jotaro-san is currently following any available leads we have and there are no Stray Devil incidents at the moment. We'll just have to wait and see if anything else happens." Rias informed the punk, who nodded slowly in understanding. As the three headed for the door, Rias leaned on her desk with both hands, her eyes shut tight as she considered her next action carefully. Finally she released a breath, looking up at them once again.

"Josuke-kun, Akeno. Please wait a moment. There's something I'd like to discuss before you leave."

Josuke's hand was on the doorknob before he stopped once she spoke, glancing back at the crimson haired princess. "Oh, sure thing." He agreed, walking back while Akeno followed after him.

"Wh-what should I do?" Okuyasu asked dumbly, unsure if his presence was necessary at the moment.

"Just give us some time and wait in the hall, Okuyasu-san. We'll be done shortly I believe. Depending on the direction of the conversation." The crimson haired princess informed him. Okuyasu shared a glance with Josuke who only shrugged in response, unsure what this was about as well.

"Got it. I'll be outside then." Okuyasu agreed before walking out alone. Josuke turned back to Rias and walked back to the table.

"So, what's on your mind?" Josuke asked casually, tucking his bag under his arm as he stood across from her. Akeno made her way to Rias' side, glancing down at her master curiously. The crimson haired Devil stared at her table for a long silent moment, her hands interlocked in front of her before she turned her sincere gaze up to the tall teen.

"Josuke-kun… please join my peerage." She said with not a slither of humor in her tone. Akeno's eyes widened for a moment at the sudden request, though she knew it was eventually coming. She glanced up to see Josuke's own reaction, which nearly caused her to giggle if it weren't for how serious her master was currently being. The tall teen's left eye was currently twitching, seemingly taken off guard by the suggestion before finally laughing awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head.

"C-come on, prez. You just had to throw one in right before I go home… don't go joking like that…" Josuke nervously dismissed, but as he met her eyes it started to sink in that she was dead serious.

"We've been dancing around the subject for some time now, Josuke-kun. I haven't persisted because I know that you have your own personal reasons for not wanting to do so, and that was fine. But surely you know the benefits of making you one of us officially." Rias reasoned, her jade orbs almost piercing Josuke's own. "Your lifespan will become far longer than you could imagine. Your senses and physical capabilities would become greatly enhanced. And just like those that Myrcella is turning into servants, you would gain even greater potential for improvement upon your Stand abilities." She listed off, her posture straightening as she leaned back into her chair. "I think you should give it some serious thought before just dismissing it. Please."

Silence fell upon the room once Rias had said her peace, the crimson haired girl watching Josuke carefully for his reaction. Akeno remained silent as well, seeing the benefits of having Josuke among their ranks and hoping he would agree. Not to mention he was basically one of them at this point, even if it was somewhat unofficial. Josuke bit his bottom lip, glancing at the ground and shading his eyes with his hair.

Rias waited for a moment longer before sighing and speaking up. "If you need time to think, you don't have to answer-"

"I'm sorry, but… no." Josuke finally answered, Rias and Akeno's eyes widening. He looked back up at them, a soft but firm atmosphere surrounding his gaze. "I can see why it'd be tempting to become one, but I… just can't. I'm sorry."

Rias and Akeno shared questioning looks before the Devil master frowned and looked into his eyes with a more defeated expression. "But why?" her voice echoed her feelings, more somber than Josuke was used to hearing from her. He wasn't sure what to answer with at first, walking over to the window by her chair and staring out at the school.

"It's not you, if that's what you think. You guys are my close friends now, and I don't doubt your intentions any more." Josuke declared, giving a small smile to her from the side before becoming more contemplative. "But when you made Issei your servant, it was because he was dead. There was nothing else that could be done. And from then on, he would always serve you. His decisions in life were decided for him at that point." He shifted back to Rias, his eyes gentle as he spoke. "I don't want that. I want to be able to pick what happens to me from now on for as long as I live. Whether it's helping you and hanging out with everyone or deciding to go and fight who I need to. I want to be able to choose for myself."

"But Josuke-" Rias began before she finally realized something. This was **exactly** what she wanted for herself, and was half of why she was even asking Josuke this question in the first place. It hurt her inside, for the crimson haired Devil had tried to take what she sought away from one of her closest friends so that she could keep it herself. At this point, Rias knew exactly what she would do. She clutched her chest and smiled in understanding, looking up at the tall teen with greater empathy. "Okay. I understand."

"I knew you would." Josuke chuckled, a small goofy grin crossing his lips again as he started to relax once more. "I'm sorry if I disappointed you, but that's just how I feel about it."

"That's perfectly fine. Now that I have a better understanding, I fully support your decision." Rias declared kindly, standing from her seat and holding out a hand. Josuke quickly took it, shaking it with care. "I trust that you'll be able to handle our enemies even as you are."

"Just leave it to me. We'll take them like we always do." He confidently proclaimed before slinging his bag over his shoulder. "If that's all, I'm going to head home now. But I'm glad we had this talk. Thanks for understanding."

"Thank you for being honest with me." Rias replied in kind as she leaned against her desk and watching him leave. "I'll see you tomorrow, Josuke-kun."

"Later." Josuke waved goodbye before closing the door behind him. Rias smiled for a moment longer before sighing and turning her attention back to the pages of feedback on her peerage.

"Why didn't you tell him?" Akeno suddenly inquired, causing Rias to glance at her queen. "Josuke-kun might have been far more willing to become one of us if you explained the situation."

Rias watched her for a moment before shaking her head. "It wouldn't be fair to put that burden on his shoulders. As much as I'd like his help in the matter, I can't do that to Josuke-kun." she admitted, her hand gripping anxiously. "He's the type of person that would do anything to help his friends, even if he won't admit it. Abusing that kindness would be terrible of me. I'd be no better than **him**."

Akeno observed her master for a moment before nodding perceptively. "I see. It is a shame, though. It would have been fun if Josuke had joined us. He's been very good to us. Not to mention he's fun to tease."

"Why Akeno, are you taking an interest in a boy? I thought you said you hated boys." Rias mocked in a sweet tone, smiling playfully at her queen.

"Oh, stop. It's just fun to see him become so flustered." Akeno giggled dismissively before turning around. "I'm going to head home now, if that's alright."

"It's no problem, I'll see you tomorrow." Rias approved as she watched the raven haired girl take her leave. She turned back to the window, staring out at the school. She had little chance to think of much else though, as soon after a magic circle glowed with life at the center of the room. Rias' eyes widened as she immediately recognized the power, biting her thumb. _I had less time than I hoped after all._

* * *

Later that night, Josuke found himself at home playing a game of Overwatch, relaxing peacefully despite the previous conver-

"Will **someone** get on the damn payload?! I can only do so much as Lucio!" Josuke snapped as his fingers danced away at his Playstation controller. "And why do we have two Widowmakers on attack?! I swear to god, there is so much autism in this game!"

"Josuke! Will you get off that damn game already! You're making too much noise!" His mother called from downstairs. It was the weekend and so he was allowed to be up late and play. Though that didn't mean his mother didn't get annoyed by his constant cursing while trying so hard in a game.

"Will one of you get on the payload with me?! I have my ult and-" he soon died and the clock ticked down toward the end. Josuke slumped his shoulders as he heard the computer announce their defeat, his head bowed in exhaustion. "We lost…" He grumbled as he left the game and started to search for another. "I am not going to bed until I have a good game, damn it!" He proclaimed despite being alone. He heard his phone ring with life, glancing at it from the side though felt half inclined to ignore it. As it kept ringing he groaned before grabbing it and looking at the name listed. _Of course, it's Issei._ "Goddamn it…" He muttered before putting it between his head and his shoulder. "What's going on? Hop on Over-"

" _ **Dude!**_ _"_ Issei barked through the phone, nearly blasting Josuke's ear out as he winced from the volume and dropped his phone. He fumbled with his phone as he tried to grab it in air before finally catching it and putting it back to his head. _"You will not believe wha-"_

"Don't go shouting in my ear soon as I pick up the phone, **dumbass**!" Josuke quickly shouted back, hearing Issei grumble from the volume this time before turning back to his game with a puffed out lips. "Now what's going on?"

" _You didn't have to shout so loud…"_ Issei complained from the other side, though Josuke imagined him shaking his head before speaking again. _"B-but seriously! Something really… incredible just happened to me!"_

"What, did you walk in on Asia-chan in the shower again?" Josuke sighed as his next game started up.

" _N-no! I-I mean, that happened earlier, but-that's not what I'm calling you about!"_ Issei quickly dismissed though Josuke was starting to lose interest at this point as he tried to focus on his game. _"I-it was the president! She just tried to…_ _ **sleep with me**_ _!"_

At that Josuke immediately stopped his game, blinking as he processed what he just heard from his best friend. After some time thinking, there was only one thing to say that came to mind. "Bullshit. You're lying." Josuke casually replied as he spawned his character again to keep playing.

" _D-dude, I'm telling the truth!_ " Issei tried to affirm, though Josuke could only give a disbelieving grunt.

"Oh, really~? Man you sure are lucky…" Josuke drawled, sarcasm thick in his voice.

" _I'm being serious here!"_

"Are you sure you didn't just have a wet dream? Seems like the more logical conclusion." Josuke lamely suggested, chuckling a bit at his own joke.

" _I swear on_ _ **everything**_ _that it's what happened! I wouldn't lie about this!"_ Issei urged on, only earning a sigh from Josuke in response. _"Pl-plus, I couldn't make up or dream what happened after! Right as we were about to get into it, a hot woman in a maid outfit showed up!"_

"That sounds **exactly** like something you'd dream up." Josuke bluntly retorted as he used Lucio to slide along the wall of a map and into the checkpoint.

" _O-okay, maybe I put that wrong. But it's_ _ **who**_ _she was that mattered!"_ Issei attempted to recover.

"Look, I'm trying to focus here, so if you're done fantasizing-"

" _It was_ _ **Grayfia Lucifuge**_ _! You know, sister of that chick that's making Stand user Devils!"_

Josuke once again visibly paused and seemed to pay more attention now. Of course, his reasoning made it hard to fully believe him, chuckling somewhat disbelievingly. "N-no way, you're making that up." Josuke tried to dismiss, though he had a bead of sweat on his forehead. "You're thinking too much about the… case…" He trailed off as a light started to shine across his room from the ground. He slowly turned his gaze to it to see it was a magic circle, though it was white in contrast to the red one that Rias usually made. Slowly, a figure started to form in the white light.

" _I'm telling you, it wasn't a dream! She had silver hair like I've never seen!"_ On cue, the figure's head started to become visible, revealing locks of shining silver, _"She was really pale skinned, but in a fair kind of way, not a sun deprived!"_ The figure's face soon became apparent, revealing a beautiful woman with rose red lipstick and fair skin. Josuke was currently shaking in confusion, unsure what exactly was happening as he continued to listen to Issei's spot on description. _"And like I said, she wore like an old, victorian style maid outfit! She had an amazing body!"_ Finally, her entire body came into form, revealing a very obvious maid outfit. Josuke's jaw slacked a bit as he stared at the woman, questions filling his head.

"I-Issei… I'm gonna have to call you back…" Josuke muttered on the line, interrupting the brunette's tirade. He didn't bother to listen for his response as he lowered his phone and stuffed it into his pocket. The beautiful silver haired Devil watched him with cold eyes as he stood up.

"So, you are Josuke Higashikata. It seems that Rias-sama was not exaggerating in her description of you." The woman finally spoke, her voice rather stern and void of emotion. Josuke took a deep breath and put his hands together as he tried to collect himself.

" **What are you doing in my house**?!" Josuke cried out as his composure completely collapsed, pointing at the maid in question.

"I apologize for the intrusion, Josuke-sama. My name is Grayfia Lucifuge, wife of the Maou Sirzechs Lucifer. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." The Devil bowed politely. "It is rare to meet one of your bloodline."

"U-uh, oh… Nice to meet you…" Josuke answered as politely as possible, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "B-but is there a reason you came here? I wasn't really expecting company…"

"Yes, there is. Again, I apologize for my intrusion upon your household, but there is a personal matter I'd like to discuss with you." Grayfia declared, glancing around the room. "If you would like, you can take a seat again as we talk."

"Y-yeah, okay…" Josuke mumbled as he sat in the computer chair of his room. Grayfia seemed to be waiting for him to sit before speaking again.

"I would like to discuss my sister and her actions here if you don't mind." Grayfia explained, getting straight to the point. Josuke's brow furrowed a bit.

"N-not to change the subject, but I thought that… Rias was trying to keep this from her brother?" Josuke asked honestly, remembering the words his president spoke some time ago. "How do you know about this?"

"So I've come to understand. But because my sister is involved, Rias-sama elected to share this information with me. In return, I gave my word to withhold from telling my husband until the time is right or in case of emergency."

"Ah, I see…" Josuke muttered in understanding before leaning on one hand. "So… what is it you wanted to discuss then?"

"Firstly… I'm sorry for the loss of your grandfather. I heard that it was one of her servants that… did it." Despite her previous stony visage, her features seemed to soften as she said this. Josuke's eyes became somewhat downcast, nodding in response.

"Yeah. It was one of her servants. Though I'm sure that she gave the order to kill me." Josuke declared firmly, gripping his right hand in frustration over the incident. Grayfia noticed his anxiety but could only nod.

"There is nothing I can say to excuse her actions, nor shall I justify them." The silver haired Devil said calmly before meeting Josuke's eyes once more. "But my question now will be this: do you personally hold a grudge against my sister?"

Josuke raised a brow at this question, unsure what her purpose would be in asking. "I definitely don't have any love for her, but…" Josuke took a moment to think his answer over before meeting her gaze. "I wouldn't say I personally hold it against her. Any anger I had over that was dealt out to Angelo who's now down the street as a tourist attraction." He said jerking his thumb toward the window. "But that doesn't mean I forgive her for anything. She still deserves justice."

"You are quite right, she does." Grayfia agreed with a nod before releasing a sigh. "But even so, I still must make a selfish request."

"And what might that be?" Josuke hummed, though part of him knew the answer.

"Please, if you are capable of doing so should you encounter her, spare my sister." Grayfia said without hesitation, her voice softening its colder tone. "I know you have no relation to me nor owe anything to me for that matter, but please… if you can, spare her life."

Josuke crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back into his chair. "I'm not really one for killing people anyway, even if they deserve it, but-"

"I am also referring to your alternative means of eliminating a threat." Grayfia pointed out, shaking her head. "I do not wish for my sister to befall the fate of which her knight suffered at your hands."

"Okay, I get it. You just want us to catch her, not kill her." Josuke nodded in understanding before leaning forward on his knees. "But will she still be punished for what she's done?"

"Of course. While I do wish for her to be spared, she cannot act so brazenly without punishment." Grayfia explained, a more hardened glare spreading across her eyes as she spoke of it. But this only flashed by for a moment before fading back to her more neutral expression. "To give her the proper punishment, though, I would prefer if she were not fused with stone or the like, something which is only repairable by you."

Josuke turned his head away in thought for a moment, considering Grayfia's words and what he might do. Finally he released a breath and nodded. "Alright, if I can avoid it, I'll make sure your not to totally mess your sister up." He said before holding a single finger up. "But, that doesn't mean Okuyasu feels the same. If anyone has a grudge against your sister right now, it's him. He lost his brother right in front of his eyes and without being able to stop it. I doubt he'll have similar sympathy to me."

Grayfia was silent in thought for a moment before nodding. "I see. I suppose events will play out however fate intends." She turned away and moved back to the center of the room.

"You going to Okuyasu's place now?" Josuke asked curiously, but Grayfia only shook her head.

"No. His hatred for Myrcella is well deserved. Rias-sama has told me you are reasonable, but Okuyasu has a deeper connection to the enemy. Asking him to spare her would be in vain." she turned back to him for a moment and bowed. "I thank you for listening to my request, Josuke-sama."

"No problem…" Josuke muttered as he felt somewhat awkward being addressed as so. As her magical circle appeared, Josuke suddenly waved his arms. "W-wait! Just one question!"

"Yes, Josuke-sama?" Grayfia's magic circle remained but she did not disappear just yet. The tall teen rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, unsure how to ask the question without sounding lewd.

"S-so my best friend, Issei, called me up right before you came and told me that Rias tried to… sleep with him. Then you showed up." Josuke explained carefully, gauging her reaction which remained stony. "I-is it true?"

"Yes, it is." Grayfia answered without hesitation. "Rias-sama was attempting to have her chastity taken by her servant to effectively negate her engagement."

Josuke sat quietly for a moment staring at her before putting his hands to his face. " **Oh! My! God!** " Grayfia slightly flinched at the mention of God. "I-I can't believe he was telling the truth! Now I'm going to look like an idiot tomo-wait." Josuke suddenly processed her final words and raised a brow. "Engagement?"

"It is perhaps best to allow Rias-sama explain it to you instead. Have a good night, Josuke-sama." The Strongest Queen bid farewell as the light enveloped her again.

"W-wait! What are you…" Josuke trailed off as Grayfia disappeared from his room completely. He bit his bottom lip and scratched the back of his head. "Just **great**. Now I've got more questions than answers…"

* * *

"I **told** you I was telling the truth last night!" Issei mocked with a victorious grin as he and Josuke now headed to the club room.

"Yeah, yeah. I heard you the first time." Josuke sighed, rolling his eyes. "But it's the reason that it happened that I want to know. Something's going on."

"Yeah, she has been acting strange…" Issei trailed off before he noticed Asia and Kiba approaching them. "Be sure not to tell anyone what happened to me, especially Asia!" Issei quickly whispered before the two came into earshot.

"Hello, you two. What are you whispering about?" Kiba inquired kindly, smiling at the pair.

"A-ah, nothing much!" Issei tried to play off, waving his hand dismissively.

"Oh, where is Okuyasu-san? I thought he would be with you both." Asia asked, glancing around for the punk.

"Ah, yesterday I was talking to him about getting a registration paper for the club like I did. I think he went to go get one from the main office." Josuke explained to the two.

* * *

Across the school in the main office, Okuyasu finally received his club registration paper. "Awesome, now I can head over to everyone."

"Hello, Okuyasu Nijimura-san." He heard a familiar voice behind him, blinking as he turned to see Sona Sitri and her Queen Tsubaki greeting him with kind smiles. "I'd like to ask you a few questions about your Stand…"

"Uh… okay then…"

* * *

"He shouldn't be too long." Josuke shrugged as they walked into the old school building. "Hey, Kiba. Have you noticed Rias acting strange? I've been trying to figure it out what's the cause but can't really think of it."

"Strange? Hm, perhaps…" Kiba hummed in thought as he contemplated the past couple of weeks. "But I can't say I know the source of it. If anyone did, it would be Akeno-chan. As her Queen, she knows just about everything involving our master." He suddenly stopped in his stride, causing the others to pause and watch him curiously. "I can't believe I haven't noticed until now. What's going on?" He muttered to himself, almost sounding ashamed that he had been ignorant to his master's distress. The other's glanced at one another, unsure what to say before all four moved on. Once inside, the they quickly reached the clubroom, Issei pushing the doors open first.

"We're here!" He announced, trying to sound casual as possible. Issei soon widened his eyes as he saw the familiar form of Grayfia standing with Rias, the two looking as if they had been in the middle of a discussion.

"Grayfia-san?" Josuke blurted in question. "What are you doing here?" The silver haired Devil turned to regard them for a moment before looking back at Rias.

"If you wish, I can explain the situation to them for you." Grayfia offered only for Rias to shake her head in dismissal.

"No, that's quite alright. Everyone, please take a seat. I have something to discu-" Rias started to explain, stopping as a blinding orange light shined from the opposite side of the room. Without warning, a magic circle appeared on the ground before exploding in flames, causing the group to shield their eyes for a moment before it quickly dissipated. From the center of the circle, a man appeared.

"And so Raiser Phenex returns to the Human world." He spoke, his voice causing a bit of annoyance in Josuke for some strange reason that he couldn't place. He wore a suave red suit and a white dress shirt under which was open at the top of his chest. His hair was blond and he looked to be in his early twenties. His face had a rugged yet handsome presence, something most girls would find attractive. "I've come for you, Rias my love." The words seem to make Rias's skin crawl, the red haired Devil glaring daggers.

"W-who is this guy?" Issei grunted out, feeling angry just from the way he regarded Rias.

"This is Riser Phenex, a high class upper level Devil and heir to the Phenex family. He is also fiance to the Gremory Family heiress apparent." Grayfia explained to them, Issei and Josuke's eyes widening in bewilderment.

"N-no way… you're not saying that…" Issei muttered before glancing at Riser.

"That is to say, Riser-sama that is engaged to Rias-sama." Grayfia finally confirmed for them rather blatantly.

"Engaged?!" Josuke and Issei cried out in complete shock, both boys looking at the man in question who only gave a rather smug smirk.

"Would you mind if we take a seat together, my love?" Riser inquired in a rather sweet voice now, walking over to the couches at the center of the room without her approval. Akeno walked stiffly past him, her face as void of emotion as any of them had ever seen as she grabbed her tea set and started to make a cup. Koneko, who was already in the room, joined the rest of the peerage and motioned to them to follow her. They moved to the wall of the room by the window, all including Josuke standing against the wall silently.

Rias seemed hesitant, but still joined the man on the couch, sitting down and crossing her legs, eyes closed as she seemed to try and pretend the situation was not real. Akeno handed a cup to the upper class Devil, who sipped at it with a smile.

"The tea of my love's queen is quite delicious." Riser supplied as he placed an arm over Rias' shoulder, Issei immediately welling up with anxiety. He couldn't stand to see him messing with his master so casually, his hand twirling her crimson locks.

"Thank you for the compliment." Akeno said with a bow, her voice stiff and obligatory as she walked over to join the others. She glanced at Josuke to see he was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, hair shading his eyes and hiding his feelings on the situation. After a moment, Akeno turned back to watch Riser and her master talk, though not much talking was going on. Riser was merely rubbing her leg rather sensually, feeling her up with no shame.

 _This slime is supposed to be her fiance?_ Issei mentally growled, barely containing his outrage over the situation.

"That's enough, Riser." Rias finally spoke up, standing from her seat and leaving him on the couch. "I told you before, and I will tell you again. I do not intend to marry you." She spoke firmly, her voice trying to leave little room for argument.

"But my love, I thought your family could not afford to accept your selfish request?" Riser knowing shrugged, holding his hands up with an amused smile.

"I will not bring my family down." Rias quickly dismissed with a glare as she looked back at her fiance. "I will take a husband, but it will be one of my choosing."

"The Underworld struggles to keep pure bloodlines among the royals after the previous war. We have become a rarity." Riser countered with a smirk, crossing a leg over the other. "This marriage was arranged to make keep our bloodlines pure and ensure they would continue strong."

"My family is merely impatient and rushing too much." Rias claimed, turning her back to him again. "I won't repeat myself again. Riser, I am not marrying you!" She said fiercely, turning to him with a fire in her eyes. She was soon taken off guard, Riser grabbing her chin and inching his face closer to hers.

"You know, my love, that I am the face of the Phenex family as well." Riser pointed out lowly, a dark grin crossing his features. "I will not have you sully my honor."

"President!" Issei cried out as he and the rest of the peerage prepared to jump in between them. Josuke remained in his same position, lifting his head a bit so that his eyes became visible. He was glaring heavily in anger but seemed to be unmoving for the moment.

"I'll take you back to the Underworld." Rias declared before turning his gaze toward Issei and the others. "Even if it means turning your peerage to ash to do it." Energy welled up within both Rias and Riser, the two seconds away from attacking one another.

"That's enough." Grayfia suddenly intervened, causing both to immediately pause and look back at her. "Milady, Riser-sama, as I am here on Sirzechs-sama's orders, I do not intend to stand idly by."

"Coming from you, the strongest queen, even I am scared." Riser admitted with a shrug, his killing intent dissipating.

"You both know what Sirzechs-sama recommended should negotiations break down." Grayfia pointed out with her cold visage again. "You will settle this problem in a Rating Game."

"A Rating Game?" Issei repeated in question. "I remember hearing that somewhere before…"

"Sona brought it up once." Josuke recalled, breaking his silence finally as he continued to stare at Riser.

"A Rating Game is a competition between two high ranking Devils and their peerages." Akeno started to explain, pulling the brunette's attention to her now. "It is a game that resembles chess and is the reason why peerages are likened to pieces. That is why they're called Evil Pieces."

"I see…" Issei muttered in understanding.

"I have already competed in several Rating Games and won the majority of them." Riser proudly declared, glancing at Rias smugly. "But you are not yet even qualified to play and therefore lack any experience in the matter." he pointed out, Rias narrowing her eyes in annoyance.

"Rating Games are most usually only allowed to be played by seasoned Devil's." Akeno spoke once again.

"S-so president is at a disadvantage!" Issei blurted disheartenedly.

"It's even worse than that." Koneko declared knowingly.

"Rias, just to make sure, these are all of your servants, correct?" Riser asked, glancing at the crimson haired Devil.

Rias spared a glance at Josuke for a moment, who met her eyes with a bit of guilt,before looking back at Riser with a glare. "What if they are?" Riser didn't bother trying to hold in his laugh before holding up a hand and snapping his fingers. Soon after, an orange illuminated magic circle appeared from where he arrived, soon a flame flashing up in a larger arc before dissipating. From it, a large number of women, all ranging in age and size. At the forefront was a blond girl small in stature similar to Koneko, wearing a pink victorian type dress and large pigtails.

"As you can see, I have a full set." Riser pointed out with a smug smirk, crossing his arms.

"B-beauties! Fifteen beautiful girls!" Issei proclaimed in astonishment, gripping his hands in front of him. "I-it's unbelievable!" He started to tear up a bit and looked on the verge of crying. "What a true ma-"

Josuke quickly silenced him by slamming his elbow into the top of his head. "Hey, don't go on about that shit! You'll just make us look bad!" He growled in disappointment.

"B-but look at that! He's got such a large harem of women! I can't help but be jeal-" Issei started to complain before Josuke threw him in a headlock.

"I said shut up about it!" Josuke snapped again, hoping he could knock the brunette out. Riser watched them both in bemusement, unsure what to make of the two before glancing at Rias.

"What exactly are they going on about, Rias?" He asked, now genuinely curious.

"Issei dreams of gaining a harem of his own." Rias sighed honestly, seeing no point in hiding it.

"How creepy." The blond at the head of Riser's peerage stuck her tongue out in disgust.

"Oh, is that right?" Riser hummed before smirking and snapping his fingers again. "Yubelluna."

"Yes, master." The eldest of his peerage spoke, walking forward. She was a busty woman with long purple hair and a revealing dress to match it, the front only going down in straps from her shoulders and draping over her breasts and a white cloak over her shoulders that draped down her arms like a robe. She soon stood in front of Riser, who took her chin in his fingers before meeting her lips with his. Rias' face distorted in disgust, Josuke's eyes widening as he finally released Issei from his grip before glaring darkly at Riser silently.

"Wh-what the hell?!" Issei stuttered out, watching as their kiss evolved into something very passionate as the purple haired Devil wrapped her arms around his neck. He couldn't help but envy the Phenex heir who broke the kiss and stood behind his servant before starting to grope her, his hand moving inside of her shirt.

"You'll never be able to do things like this. You're just a low class Devil with no chance of advancing any higher." Riser taunted, his free hand trailing down her leg and rubbing her thighs.

"Shut up! A guy like you would mess with any girl around you even after marrying president!" Issei snapped back, grinding his teeth in frustration. "You promiscuous chicken shit!"

"Don't you know your place, you lowly Devil?" Riser spoke with a bit of surprise as he stopped caressing his servant for a moment.

"Issei, stop." Rias sighed, thinking her servant was just acting up.

"I know my place exactly! I'm president's servant, no one else's!" Issei declared with pride, causing Rias to widen her eyes slightly as she felt touched by the sentiment.

"Issei…"

"We don't have to play some stupid game!" He declared as he summoned his red bracer over his arm and glared daggers into his eyes. "I'll take you all down right now!" He declared before jumping forward, **Boost!** His Sacred Gear proclaimed.

"Issei-san!" Asia cried out in worry as she watched him move forward.

"Oi, don't do anything brash!" Josuke called out without receiving any heed from his best friend. Riser only chuckled before turning slightly to his Peerage.

"Mira." He spoke before a blur jumped from the group of girls. Issei stopped quickly when a girl met with him first before he could get to Riser. The girl was small with blue hair up in a bun on top of her head with a short training gi and a red jacket while wielding a staff.

"Wh-what? This small girl? I can't fight her." Issei muttered, unsure what to do. In a flash, the girl jumped forward and struck Issei in the stomach faster than most would expect.

At least that's what she had attempted to do, only to be caught by the brunette's armored arm. "That's what I would have said before… but getting my ass kicked by a loli-vamp made me a little more cautious about that." He chuckled as he strained a bit against her strength, but pushed back. The girl narrowed her eyes silently before quickly pulling back on her staff, Issei losing his grip and stumbling forward before she spun around and delivered a powerful blow to his gut, the brunette gasping in pain before being launched into the ceiling. He bounced off the the roof before falling to the ground with a thud.

"Issei!" Rias cried out in fear, quickly dashing to her fallen servant's side and kneeling next to him. "Issei! Hang in there!" She pleaded as she cradled him in his arms. Issei was barely conscious after the blow, struggling to look up at his master for a moment.

"I-I'm sorry, president…" He muttered out before fading into unconsciousness. Riser could only laugh mockingly, shaking his head.

"I hope the rest of your servants aren't so weak. Who knew that the wielder of one of the most powerful weapons known to Heaven and Hell, **Boosted Gear** , would be such a worthless guy?" Riser further insulted with a malicious grin. He waited for Rias to respond for a moment, only to watch as Josuke stepped forward, summoning **Crazy Diamond** and using it to quickly heal Issei.

"You idiot. If you're going to rush in like that, at least look cool." Josuke sighed before turning a fierce glare toward Riser, hands placed in his pockets. "As for you, your face is really starting to piss me off."

"Josuke, no! That's enough, please!" Rias cried out in worry. Issei was naturally sturdy but feared for Josuke's safety even with his Stand. The tall teen elected to ignore her as he strode forward, his aim solely on Riser.

"Your servants don't seem to learn, do they? Though… you don't feel like a Devil…" Riser commented off handedly before nodding at Mira. His servant quickly returned the nod before dashing forward, ready to strike once more-

 **DORA! Crazy Diamond** growled as in two swift movements destroyed the staff in her hands as she approached before stopping a punch just short of her face, the petite bluenette gasping in shock as she became still with fear. The large humanoid Stand stared her dead in the eyes while Josuke only glanced at her from the side.

"Stay out of the way. I don't want to, but I'll knock you out if you come at me again." Josuke warned as an intimidating aura radiated from him. Mira suddenly felt a chill run down her spine and sweat drip down her face before she took a step back, her body visibly shaking. He then continued forward without bothering to look at her again, his eyes plastered on Riser.

"Stay back, you lowly-" Yubelluna began to growl before Riser held up a hand and silenced her, smirking smugly as he walked forward to meet Josuke. The two stopped when they were only a meter apart, both men testing their wills as their eyes met. Josuke was a bit taller than him still, but that didn't seem to cause any discomfort in Riser.

"You look like you have something to say, **human**." Riser chuckled, his hands now resting on his hips. "Go ahead and say it. I heard about the Stand user who was becoming familiar with Rias and her lackeys, but to think you'd be so bold to stand here so defiantly…" Riser hummed, observing Josuke for a moment. The tall teen was silent for a moment before raising a single hand from his pocket slowly, pointing at Riser with a strong glare.

"You think because you're from a high family that it makes you a man?" Josuke spoke, his voice low and dangerous. "A man doesn't make women fight his battles for him, nor does show off his damn concubines in front of his future wife."

"J-Josuke…" Rias muttered as he spoke, unsure what to do at this point. She glanced at Grayfia in question, thinking she might intervene, but the strongest queen remained silent and idly watched almost as if interested by the encounter.

"Hmph. A lowly human has no understanding of what Devil's truly are." Riser scoffed as his grin widened. "A boy who probably doesn't even know the heat of a woman against him shouldn't speak on such matters either."

"That's right, I'm a virgin." Josuke immediately confirmed without hesitation before his teeth gnashed in anger. "But that's because I respect women too much to ever want to mess with their hearts so casually. And I sure as **hell** don't treat them like they're goddamn toys to be played with for fun like you do, asshole!" he finally snapped part of him wanting to summon his Stand and lash out. But unlike Okuyasu or Issei, Josuke wouldn't be so quick to lash out. That is, to say, if he wasn't provoked in some way of course. "Rias deserves a guy a thousand times better than you!"

Riser felt his anger bubbling over, frowning at Josuke's words before fire started to surround him. Without either man's knowledge, the petite blond from Riser's peerage seemed to be rather stricken by Josuke's declaration, watching him with a bit of admiration as her cheeks flushed despite the fact that he was now their opponent. "You sure do run your mouth with no knowledge of who you stand before, **boy**!" Riser growled, flames erupting from his hands. "Perhaps I should teach you!"

"Go ahead and try it!" Josuke retorted as **Crazy Diamond** appeared behind him with its fists ready to strike. "The moment you make a move, I'll beat your ass into the ground!"

A tense silence fell upon the room as Riser took a moment to consider his next move, coming close to launching his fire without hesitation before a thought suddenly came to him. He let his fire die down and grinned evilly at Josuke before straightening up and chuckling.

"What's so funny, bastard?" Josuke spat, disappointed now that Riser made no move to attack.

"Rias, my love. I am correct in assuming that we shall be settling this in a Rating Game still, correct?" Riser suddenly asked, glancing at his fiance from the side who glared for a moment.

"That's right." Rias answered before Riser started to chuckle again, shaking his head.

"No wonder you're making so much noise. You're not even able to participate in the Rating Game." Riser declared, pointing a finger at Josuke. "You're not capable of defending her pride without creating a fight here, right?"

Josuke's eyes widened, at first having trouble to reply before turning to Grayfia. "Oi, is there a way I can participate in this Rating Game for Rias?! There has to be some way in without being her servant!"

Grayfia watched him with steady eyes before shaking her head silently. "That is not possible. You are required to have a piece from her set to be apart of the Rating Game."

The tall teen's breath hitched, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead as he bit his bottom lip. He looked down at the ground, feeling all eyes on him now, Riser sneering as he watched Josuke struggle.

"What's wrong, human? All you have to do is sign your entire **life** away to my fiance. Is that so hard?" Riser chided further, crossing his arms victoriously as observed the tall teen. Josuke felt his emotions well up, frustration starting to take over as he considered his final options. This wasn't just about avenging Issei, this was about saving one of his close friends from a loveless and eternal marriage to a man who would treat her like nothing more than a baby maker and a status symbol. It was not something he would ever wish upon anyone, especially Rias. He gripped his hand until it was white, teeth grinding together as his eyes became shaded by his hair.

"Josuke-kun…" Rias muttered, watching him with a pit of guilt in her stomach. Riser watched him silently for another moment before chuckling and starting to walk away.

"If that's all you have to say, then I'll be off." Riser said, wrapping his arm around Yubelluna's waist. "If I were you, Rias, I'd take some time to train your-"

"Do it." Josuke suddenly muttered out, causing Riser to pause and glance at him as well as Rias who blinked in question.

"Wh-what did you say Josuke-kun?" Rias questioned, hoping against hope that he wasn't saying what she thought. Josuke looked up at Rias with some strain , sweat trailing down his brow but conviction showing in his eyes.

" **Make me part of your Peerage**!"

 **To Be Continued…**

… **Hahahaha~! I'm soooo evil :3 The ending to this chapter was a bit difficult with how I wanted to end it. So yeah, big cliffhanger decision! Will I stick with what I wanted originally or have I changed my mind and decided to do whatever I want? I guess you guys will have to find out next chapter~! Lol but seriously, this was a long chapter. Longer than I had intended or predicted it would be.**

 **Also, regarding Okuyasu's stance on the situation, it will be handled next chapter. But all I can say for now is don't hold your breath if you're expecting him to play a big part in this arc.**

 **Also this chapter's ending I wanted to go one of two ways: the first being how I had it go, OR the way with Josuke doing a bit more than talking. Soooo why not, I'm going to give you guys the alternate ending as well. Just remember that this is not the in canon ending, this is just what I would have liked had I not been focusing on a plot point.**

 **Take 2**

"You look like you have something to say, **human**." Riser chuckled, his hands now resting on his hips. "Go ahead and say it. I heard about the Stand user who was becoming familiar with Rias and her lackeys, but to think you'd be so bold to stand here so defiantly…" Riser hummed, observing Josuke for a moment. The tall teen was silent for a moment before raising a single hand from his pocket slowly, pointing at Riser with a strong glare.

"You think because you're from a high family that it makes you a man?" Josuke spoke, his voice low and dangerous. "A man doesn't make women fight his battles for him, nor does show off his damn concubines in front of his future wife."

"J-Josuke…" Rias muttered as he spoke, unsure what to do at this point. She glanced at Grayfia in question, thinking she might intervene, but the strongest queen remained silent and idly watched almost as if interested by the encounter.

"Having that Stand has made you headstrong." Riser retorted, grinning in amusement as he crossed his arms. "You think that because you beat a couple of worthless Fallen Angels that you can measure up to the likes of Riser Phenex? You're just a lowly human."

"Oh, is that right?" Josuke sneered, grinning anxiously as **Crazy Diamond** appeared at his side. "You care to see if you're right?"

"Of course. In fact…" Riser turned his cheek to the Stand user, pointing right at his cheek. "Go ahead. Punch me as hard as possible."

"What?" Josuke replied, frowning in annoyance as he realized what the man was saying.

"You heard me. I want you to punch me with your Stand. Hit me with all you've got, human." Riser told him without hesitation, grinning in anticipation.

"Are you underestimating me?" Josuke muttered, a small bead of sweat going down his cheek as he saw how confident Riser was.

"Riser-sama, perhaps you shouldn't…" Yubelluna tried to deter, reaching out for her master only for him to hold up a hand to stop her from moving.

"Humans are built with many limits. I have heard that Stands can be fearsome, but I have many doubts about their so called strength." Riser declared, taking a step closer to Josuke. "After all, exactly how strong can something controlled by a worthless human b-"

 **DORA! Crazy Diamond** proclaimed as it launched an unbelievably fast and powerful punch square into Riser's jaw. To say that the Phenex heir was unharmed would be a lie, many across the room widening their eyes as his head whipped back from the impact and blood escaping his mouth.

"Wh-what the hell? F-fast…" Riser coughed out, barely able to keep standing as he tried to balance himself.

"Keep dreaming, **asshole**!" Josuke growled as he launched his Stand forward to continue its attack. **DORARARARARARARA~!** It roared as it landed many more blinding hits in an instant, causing several large fist shaped dents in his body and face.

"Big brother!" The blond of Riser's peerage cried out in worry as the rest of his servants started to move forward, only for Grayfia to hold up an arm and halt them. They immediately froze, knowing none could compete with her power and were forced to watch as Riser took more damage.

"H-how does a Stand have so much power and speed?!" Riser struggled out, regenerating some of the broken bones in his face only to have another fist smash into his jaw.

"If you're going to keep daydreaming, I'm going to put your ass to sleep!" Josuke growled as he ordered his Stand to deliver another powerful blow, knocking him back. Riser skidded against the ground, trying to keep his place before letting flames erupt from his body.

"You'll pay for that, you lowly whelp!" Riser roared in fury, preparing to launch a storm of fire upon the tall teen, only for Grayfia to step in between them.

"That's enough from both of you."

"Wh-what?!" Riser cried out in anger and confusion. "Why?! You would let this human trash dishonor me without giving me the chance to destroy him?!"

"You are the one who goaded him into striking you, Riser-sama." Grayfia simply replied and giving an uncaring stare. "And I would be careful who you call 'trash'. Josuke Higashikata comes from a long line of heroes that is highly regarded in both Heaven and Hell."

Riser grinded his teeth in anger, trembling as he wished he could fly past the strongest queen and destroy Josuke outright. The tall teen was only grinning tauntingly behind Grayfia, daring him to come closer for another fight. Finally Riser let out a heavy huff and turned his back to them both.

"This shall be settled in the Rating Game!" He proclaimed as he walked back to his peerage. "If you have the balls to try that again, be there human!"

"Count on it, asshole!" Josuke retorted before the magic circle's light enveloped Riser and his servants completely before they disappeared. Josuke waited a moment before taking a deep breath and turning to the others with a grin. "That went well!"

 **End**

 **Well, there you go! For all your fanservice-y needs (outside of standard fanservice lol). But yeah, I hope you all enjoyed and that you take the time to post a review and give the story a favorite and follow. Thank you and see you next time!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Issei towed a rather hefty sized bag on his back, his breath a bit haggard as he climbed the mountain side. Despite his Devil strength, which he could only use in moderation and short boosts, he could now feel exhaustion creeping up as sweat dripped down his brow. Up ahead of him was Rias, Akeno and Asia, who were enjoying a small respite by drinking water from a natural water fountain close by.

"Come on, Issei. Hurry!" Rias called out to him, waving for him to catch up.

"It's quite delicious~!" Akeno noted, drinking water from her cupped hands.

"Yes ma'am…" Issei breathlessly answered, trying to keep at a decent pace.

"Sh-should I help him with his bag?" Asia asked sympathetically, seeing his difficulty with each step.

"No, this is all part of his training. Allow him to keep trying." Rias shook her head, watching her pawn with high hopes.

"I'll be going on ahead." Issei heard from his right, glancing to see Kiba carrying a similar sized bag with little effort before walking past him.

"Damn you for making it look so easy!" Issei cursed in annoyance. He was soon followed by Koneko who seemed fairly at ease as well, but much to his shock was carrying a bag four times the size of his.

"Excuse me." She politely said as she passed him by, ignoring the gawking face he made as he stopped. He suddenly felt the weight pull him back again, causing him to stumble and fall flat on his bag.

"Son of a-damn it!" Issei groaned before flipping on his knees and leaning close to the ground. "Damn it, I give up…" He mumbled out pathetically. He suddenly felt himself being lifted off the ground, glancing up to see Josuke and Okuyasu on each side helping him to his feet.

"Come on, we're not that far from the water. Make it there then take a break." Josuke encouraged, patting his shoulder with a goofy smile.

"Yeah, that bag doesn't even look that heavy." Okuyasu laughed, crossing his arms. Most of the group was wearing what would be considered standard mountain climbing attire, but Josuke and Okuyasu seemed to be rather set in wearing their own style of clothes. Josuke wore cargo pants and jacket, but both were a darkish purple and styled a bit with his usual pins and ornaments, sitting on top of a yellow T-shirt instead of his zippered shirt. Okuyasu wore a jean blue cargo outfit with money signs on the shoulder and a black shirt under that.

"Why don't you guys have to carry anything…?" Issei complained, glaring at the two in contempt.

"Well, we're not really up here to work on our physical strength, you know?" Josuke suggested with a shrug. "So stop complaining so we can get a drink. Let's go." He said, keeping pace with his best friend in case he needed further help.

"A-alright, just a little more…" Issei huffed before determination filled his eyes. "I can do this!" He growled out as he took several steps forward a bit faster than before. Rias sighed with a small smile as she watched the three approach, waiting expectantly for each of them to arrive. Her eyes fell on Josuke, and only a moment after did her thoughts returning to the day before and the events that transpired.

" _ **Make me part of your peerage**_ _!"_

 _Those words rang through the air and seemed to remain within Rias for a long silent moment. All eyes had fallen between the two, even Riser was watching them expectantly at this point. Emotions filled the crimson haired Devil, feeling both joy, dread and shame as she stared into his eyes. She felt a frown deepen on her lips before she turned her gaze away from him, eyes close as she made a final decision right then and there._

" _No." She finally answered, causing a collective gasp from her peerage. Josuke himself blinked in shock, taken back by her rejection._

" _Wh-what?! What do you mean 'no'?!" Josuke barked, his voice now filled with frustration as he took a step toward Rias._

" _You're being emotional, Josuke-kun. I will not let you make such a large decision while you're like this." Rias declared, turning her gaze back to him which hid no amount of sternness._

" _So what if I am?!" Josuke retorted, grinding his teeth. "You've been asking me to join your peerage for a while now! Why are you suddenly saying no?!"_

 _Before Rias could answer him, a haughty laughter erupted from Riser across the room, causing the crimson haired Devil to send a glare his way. "It seems you've got some problems to work out with your peerage, my love. I hope you make the right decision." he sneered before a magic circle appeared beneath him and his peerage. "Here's to hoping we get to meet on the battlefield, Stand user. If you can participate, that is." With that, the Phenex heir disappeared in a shroud of fire. Josuke felt a vein pop on top of his head, fist gripping in frustration._

" _The game shall be held in ten days." Grayfia suddenly announced before Josuke could snap at his club president again. "Due to the difference in experience and resources available, Sirzechs-sama and I believed this would be best so that you can prepare your peerage and possibly level the playing field."_

 _Rias stood from where she was with Issei, who was starting to stir thanks to being healed by Josuke. She glanced at Josuke, who was silently standing across from her steaming with anger but withholding his wrath, eyes shaded by his hair. "I hate to admit it, but I have to agree. Thank you, I will take this time and use it the best I can to train." She graciously accepted._

 _Grayfia nodded in acceptance before walking to the empty area of the room, her eyes glancing over at Josuke for a moment before turning back to Rias. "If that is all, milady, I shall depart. Please use your time wisely." with that, she disappeared in a magic circle. The room was quiet, Rias now feeling the tension coming from the tall teen. She sighed and turned to Josuke, expecting his anger._

" _Josuke-kun-"_

" _What the hell, Rias?!" Josuke finally snapped out, eyes filled with fire as he pointed at her. "Why are you suddenly saying no?! I finally agree to join and you-"_

" _Because what kind of_ _ **friend**_ _would I be if I did that?!" Rias finally snapped back, causing Josuke to actually pause in his anger. Her eyes met his again, but now they were filled with their own conviction, one equal to the teen's previous statement. "Josuke-kun, what you told me yesterday touched me. I understood how you felt. Because that's how_ _ **I felt.**_ " _She explained, her eyes softening as Josuke's anger started to visibly dissipate. "I want to be able to choose my husband, to fall in love with who I want. And you want to be able to make your own choices in life. To be your own man. Right?"_

 _Josuke didn't answer immediately, biting his lower lip as he struggled to find his a good reply. "Rias, I…"_

" _If I took that away from you, then I'd be no better than Riser or my family who wants to give me to him." Rias concluded, turning her back to him and hugging her arms. "I can't… do that to you. You were right about my servants. I've made them all through desperate times of need or death, when they had little other options open to them." Rias admitted before turning back with gentle, saddened eyes. "But you have a choice. I know you want to help, but… I can't let you help like this."_

 _Josuke opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. His gaze softened and his eyes fell to the ground, beginning to process her words completely. For a moment the silence lingered again before Issei started to sit up, rubbing his face._

" _What happened…?" He muttered, looking up at his master._

" _We have ten days." Rias suddenly spoke, glancing down at Issei and then Josuke. "Ten days to improve, and ten days for you to decide. If by that time you feel exactly the same, that you're willing to give your soul to me as my servant, I will not deny you. But I will not accept a yes from you before then, understood?"_

 _Josuke stuffed his hands into his pockets, hair once again shading his brow before he nodded silently, electing not to speak this time._

" _D-did something happen?" Issei mumbled in question, glancing at Kiba for answers. Before anyone could speak, the door swung open, a grinning Okuyasu entering while waving papers above his head._

" _Yo~, everyone! I got my club registration done!" He announced happily. "It took way longer 'cause Sona-sempai was asking me a bunch of stuff about my Stand. It was really kinda…" He rambled on until he started to catch onto the tense atmosphere. "Uh… did I miss somethin'?"_

Josuke had not said a word of joining her peerage since then. Despite that, he agreed to come and help train with them, perhaps to think over his choice while they tried to grow stronger. Okuyasu, after hearing the story, decided to come and help. He wasn't sure how much he could do for them, but figured it would be best for one Stand user to train with another. Though it didn't seem like he was for joining the peerage either. Rias didn't bother to ask, knowing that she didn't know Okuyasu long enough to give him such a selfish proposal, nor did he have any reason to join.

Rias watched the three approach, her brow hardening as thoughts of the upcoming fight loomed in her mind. _Don't worry about us, Josuke-kun. I have my pawn with the greatest potential to rely on._ She somewhat smiled as her eyes fell on Issei. _I'll make you much stronger with our time. Much stronger._

It wasn't long before the club arrived at their destination. Josuke and Issei both widened their eyes in surprise when they came to a large, isolated mansion on the mountain top. It had a small lake in the front and a large grass field in front of it, leaving plenty of room for their proposed training.

"It's so beautiful!" Asia praised its beauty, holding her hands together.

"Alright, everyone. Let's get our supplies inside and get started on our training." Rias declared, immediately causing Issei to slump his shoulders tiredly.

"B-but we just got here, president! You really are evil…" Issei whined, almost giving up on towing his bag around.

"Why, thank you. I am a Devil after all." Rias giggled with an amused smirk as she looked back at him.

"I guess it can't really be helped, anyways. You guys only have ten days to train." Josuke suggested as they started to head toward the house.

"Josuke-kun, Okuyasu-san. You both can relax for now if you'd like." Rias told the lone humans of the group, both teens looking at her. "While I am going to help you train, I'd like to focus my efforts on Issei first. Your tutor will be arriving later today."

"Our tutor?" Josuke repeated with a raised brow. "Is Jotaro-san coming?"

"That's right. I asked him if he could help you both learn how to strengthen your Stands, even if only a bit." Rias admitted, placing her hands on her hips. "He said he'll only be available for the day since he's busy trying to find Myrcella and her Stand users, but that he didn't mind helping us out for a bit."

"Do you think a day will be enough to train us?" Okuyasu asked, scratching his cheek curiously. Though he seemed to forget that he wasn't participating in the Rating Game either.

"Jotaro-san said that he can teach you a few techniques that will be enough to help. The rest of your time here, you can spend perfecting it. And I will help you both to learn the best ways for you to fight a Devil." She then clapped her hands together and turned toward her peerage. "Come on, we've spent enough time with idle chatter. Get inside and get changed!"

"Yes, president." They answered quickly, though Issei's came out drawled and tired. The group moved inside the large mansion, the boys and girls splitting off into separate rooms to change.

"You lucky bastards. At least you get to relax while we start." Issei complained as he peeled off his shirt and pants, reaching into his bag for his training gear. Josuke and Okuyasu had elected to just slip on his usual school uniform, as they weren't going to be doing physical exercises like the rest..

"It's not our fault. You're the one she wants to really focus on, anyways." Josuke suggested with a shrug, sitting back in his chair as he combed his hairdo into place.

"I wonder what kinda food they got around here? I'm kinda hungry…" Okuyasu mumbled to himself.

"There's a kitchen just down the hall at the end. Go ahead and help yourself." Kiba suggested to the punk.

"Oh~! Maybe I will when you guys start trainin'..." Okuyasu grinned to himself, leaning against the wall next to Josuke. Issei was in the middle of putting his workout pants when a sudden thought came to him, glancing at Kiba from the side. "Hey, Kiba, I've been wondering about something. What was it you meant by despising the Fallen Angels?" He suddenly asked, the blond stopping in his tracks while his expression remained neutral, with a small hint of anxiety. "I mean, I just never pictured you as a guy to hate a race like that. What happened?"

"Oi, don't go just asking someone something that personal!" Josuke huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "That's something he has to tell you on his own."

"I guess everyone's been through some stuff, huh?" Okuyasu muttered dumbly, feeling slightly uncomfortable now.

"O-oh, right! Sorry about that, Kiba…" Issei apologized, realizing his mistake in the matter. Kiba was silent for a moment before shaking his head and turning to Issei.

"It's quite alright. Just know that Rias truly has helped us all in our times of need. Me included." He explained, reaching out and firmly gripping Issei's shoulder. "Which is why we need to do our best for president, right?"

Issei was stunned silent for a moment before shaking his head and grinning. "Of course, you're right! Let's give it our best, you guys!" He said clapping Kiba's shoulders. Josuke watched the two for a moment before his eyes fell to the ground, gripping his arm anxiously.

 _I don't know if I'll be able to._

* * *

Josuke stood with Rias and the others as they watched Issei and Kiba train with wooden swords, their stances and style almost night and day by comparison. "Alright, come at me!" Kiba ordered his fellow servant. Issei gripped his training sword hard, rushing at the knight without hesitation.

"Let's go!" he shouted as he swung a bit wildly, only to be deflected by Kiba. With his first attempt a failure, Issei began rushing in harder and harder, each swing a bit stronger than the other but just as predictable.

"Don't just focus on my sword! Keep your focus on your surroundings and the enemy in front of you!" Kiba advised as he continued to parry each blow before dodging around another strike from the brunette and knocking the wooden blade out of his hand.

"O-oh damn it…" Issei sighed as he looked back up at Kiba. The blond narrowed his eyes and raised his blade.

"Stay focused!" Issei failed in an attempt to catch the training sword as it bonked against his head rather hard.

"I'm surprised you want to teach him swordplay." Josuke admitted, glancing at Rias curiously. "His Sacred Gear doesn't seem like it's going to use one."

"It's not about learning to use a sword, it's about paying attention to his enemy." Rias suggested as she kept her eyes on her servants as they continued to spar. "Issei, as you saw yesterday, has a tendency to underestimate those he fights and not pay attention to their capabilities. Training with Kiba will help him to stay focused in battle."

"Ah, I get it. That's pretty smart…" Okuyasu hummed dumbly, holding his chin.

"You could probably learn a thing or two about that." Josuke chuckled tauntingly, remembering how they took him out with several bricks.

"I know I'm not that smart, so I just go off of what my gut tells me in a fight." Okuyasu admitted, scratching his cheek. Before Josuke could respond, he heard the sound of a car engine approaching, glancing back to see Jotaro pulling up into the front of the mansion.

"Ah, so he's arrived. Alright, Okuyasu-san, Josuke-kun. Please speak with Jotaro-san. He'll be helping you for the rest of the day."

"Got it." Josuke nodded as he and the punk started to head over to the veteran Stand user, who was currently pulling out a bag from his car and slinging it over his shoulder.

"What do you think Jotaro-san's gonna teach us?" Okuyasu questioned quietly as they approached.

"Honestly, I don't know." Josuke admitted with a shrug. "Stands all have different powers usually, so it's not like he can teach us anything new about our own, right?"

The two soon arrived at his car, Jotaro now nodding in hello. "Rias explained the situation to me. I don't know how much I can teach you, but I can at least help you cover some of your weaknesses the best I can."

"R-really? You can?" Okuyasu asked in slight disbelief.

"Well, I can't really make you smarter, but I can help with the weaknesses of your Stands." Jotaro corrected himself, deflating Okuyasu's hope and causing Josuke to stifle a laugh. "Come on. We're going to head to the other side of the lake. I spotted a good place for us to practice." Without another word, he walked toward the end of the small lake, both Josuke and Okuyasu following close behind. Once they arrived, they noticed several cut tree trunks about a meter high. Jotaro walked up to them and pulled out several empty cans and placed them on top.

"We're going to work on the distance disadvantage our type of Stands have." Jotaro told them as he walked away from the cans. He motioned for them to move back further, the two blinking as they saw that they were now far out of their own Stand's range of the cans. Despite this, the two moved further back, all the way to twenty meters from the cans.

"From this far away?" Josuke muttered, blinking at Jotaro who turned around. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of ball bearings, causing both teens to blink as they watched him.

"Our Stands always have the distance disadvantage." Jotaro pointed out as **Star Platinum** took form above him. "But we can always find ways to cover that problem instead of having to try and cover the distance instead." The Stand took the ball bearings from his hand and gripped its fist before it flicked the balls at high speeds, knocking all three cans out in one try.

"Whoa! That was cool!" Josuke admired with a broad grin.

"Amazing! I never woulda thought of that!" Okuyasu admitted with shock, a finger against his chin now. "You're amazing, Jotaro-san."

"Okuyasu can cover this weakness of distance far easier than you can, Josuke, as he can just wipe space and bring himself closer or whoever he's fighting closer to him." Jotaro declared, causing Josuke's shoulders to slump a bit. "I've heard you cover the weakness by throwing objects and repairing them to catch who you've missed off guard, but if you encounter an enemy who might be expecting that approach, you'll need another option. Here, take a shot." He said, handing the rest of the ball bearings to Josuke. He then walked back up to the stumps and placed new cans on top before walking back out of his line of fire.

Josuke narrowed his eyes as he spotted out each can, allowing **Crazy Diamond** to rise above him. It quickly took each shot, hitting one can in the center, one in the bottom and missing one by hitting the stump. He grinded his teeth in frustration, feeling a bit miffed. "It was so close…" He muttered in disappointment.

"Not bad. I give it eighty-five points." Jotaro waved off before turning to the two. "Okuyasu, you can take a shot if you like, even if your Stand does help cover the weakness. You never know if you'll be forced into a situation where that isn't an option."

"A-ah, okay then!" Okuyasu said as he was given several ball bearings of his own to use.

"Uh, Jotaro-san, I do have a quick question." Josuke announced before the punk could start, turning the veteran Stand user's attention to him. "This might work against another Stand user, I get that, but I don't know how effective it will be against the likes of Devils and stuff. They're pretty damn durable, and while they're not as fast as our Stand's are, they could probably see this kind of thing coming."

Jotaro turned to him and hummed with a nod. "You're right, Rias also explained that to me. But she also said that she can possibly construct weapons the size of ball bearings for you that would be effective on both Devils and Angels if you ask." Jotaro explained to them, both boys listening intently. "As for hitting them with it at that range, you'll most likely have to catch them by surprise or hit them at an opportune moment. Which brings me to my next lesson:"

He started to walk closer to the two, specifically Josuke while holding up a finger. "When using these for an attack, you'll want to be as accurate as possible. But there's one thing more important than that, which is keeping a steady head." He declared, starting to make Josuke uncomfortable as he slightly backed up the moment Jotaro entered his own personal bubble, coming rather close to his own face. "If you can't keep focused, you'll keep missing your shots. While you might be able to beat many different enemies up close, you're still at a large disadvantage at a distance. Not to put any pressure on you, just remember that."

"Ye-yeah…" Josuke muttered, taking a small breath of relief as Jotaro backed away from him. _I'm already feeling plenty of pressure now, though…_

"You two can practice with the ball bearings during the rest of your training here. For now, let's move onto the next technique I can teach you."

* * *

The day had come and gone from there, Issei having spent his entire day training with Rias and her peerage while the teen Stand users had continued their lessons with Jotaro. The three headed back to the mansion once the sun started to set on the day. "Man, that was a lot more work than I thought it would be…" Josuke tiredly sighed as he and Okuyasu stretched out.

"You both have a lot of time to work on the technique of it." Jotaro dismissed in his usual tone. "I was forced to figure it out during a fight."

"With another Stand user? Musta been a crazy ass fight…" Okuyasu muttered in awe. Jotaro glanced at his watch, seeing the time and looking at the slowly setting sun.

"I'm going to leave with that. You'll have to spend the rest of your time training with your friends." Jotaro explained, crossing his arms. "I've got to follow up on some possible leads."

"Anything new?" Okuyasu asked eagerly, forgetting his exhaustion for a moment. This was quickly dashed as Jotaro shook his head.

"Nothing solid, but I have to be ready in case anything comes up." Jotaro turned to his car, walking away from the two. "Good luck with your training. Hopefully what I've told you will be enough to help."

"Thanks, Jotaro-san. We'll see you when this is all over." Josuke waved as he turned to meet the others with the punk.

"Wait a second, Josuke. There's something I want to ask you first." Jotaro stopped him. The tall teen raised a brow, glancing at Okuyasu who spared him a glance before walking forward without him. Josuke felt himself gulp, a little intimidated at the idea of speaking alone with Jotaro. Especially since he had an idea of what it was about.

"So... what's going on?" Josuke asked, clearing his throat as he tried to sound casual.

"The reason I came up here wasn't just to help teach you some things." Jotaro explained, eying Josuke critically. "It's also because Rias asked me to make sure that you make the right choice. Have you made up your mind already?"

Josuke frowned, his eyes trailing to the ground. It seemed Rias had told Jotaro a lot more than he suspected. He was quiet for some time, stuffing his hands in his pockets uncomfortably. "Had you asked me yesterday, I would have said yes." He admitted quietly, glancing back up at Jotaro. "But now… I don't know…" he shook his head. Silence fell upon the two for a long moment, the sunlight dimming by the second. Jotaro looked to the side for a moment before sighing.

"I can't tell you how to live, Josuke. You make your own choices in life." Jotaro finally spoke up, Josuke meeting his eyes again. "Giving your soul away to save your friend might be admirable, but it may be a choice you'll end up regretting. Even worse, what if you gave it up and you still lost?" he suggested, Josuke felt another pang in his chest hearing that. "But after getting to know your friends somewhat, perhaps you wouldn't regret it. They seem good to you. Admittedly, I respect Rias more now."

"You do?" Josuke blinked in surprise.

"Yes. Part of me still thought she was keeping you around waiting for a chance to make you her servant." Jotaro explained, to which Josuke had to nod at. It was his first impression when he was part of the group as well, even if that obviously changed over time. "Perhaps she still was. But she kept you from making a brash decision while you were heated. I have to respect her for that."

"Yeah, she's…. A good friend." Josuke sighed, rubbing the back of his head. Jotaro was silent for a moment before finally turning back to his car and opening the door.

"Whatever choice you make, do it with a clear conscience. If your heart is in the right place, then I won't complain about it either way." Jotaro bid farewell with that, getting into his car before driving away from the mansion. Josuke watched the elder Stand user depart until he disappeared into the tree line, taking a long breath as his eyes became half lidded.

"A clear conscience, huh…?"

"Josuke, what are you doing?" Issei called out from the mansion, pulling the tall teen from his thoughts. He glanced back to see his friend waving him over. "Come on! We're getting dinner ready!"

"A-ah, yeah. Okay then." Josuke responded quietly, finally moving to join the others inside.

* * *

Josuke sat next to Okuyasu as the two waited for dinner patiently with Koneko and Kiba, Rias and Akeno absent for the moment. Apparently Issei and Asia were in charge of dinner and would be cooking the meal for them all. He trusted that Asia knew what she was doing, but he wasn't so sure about Issei. _I'm sure they'll be fine._ He relented before glancing at the two Devils who sat across from him.

"So how did training go with Jotaro-san?" Kiba suddenly asked the two with a smile. "I imagine if anyone could help you both learn something about your abilities, it would be him."

"Really good, actually." Josuke admitted, leaning his head on one hand as he spoke. "He was mostly just teaching us ways to cover our weaknesses than anything else."

"Stands all have too many different powers and stats is what he said." Okuyasu reiterated what Jotaro had basically told them from memory.

"I suppose that also applies to our powers as well, though they usually operate in the same sense." Kiba nodded in understanding, holding his chin. "Will you both need the ten days to practice what he taught you?"

"Probably not, honestly. His last lesson was pretty hard, but we were getting the hang of it toward the end. A couple more tries tomorrow and we'll probably have it down." Josuke admitted. Before he could continue, Akeno walked in with a cart carrying tea, several cups already filled. "Thanks." Josuke said as he took a cup and sipped.

"Perhaps that's a good thing. That means you'll have more time with us." Akeno giggled with a soft smile and handed one to Okuyasu who took it gingerly. "You'll need practice fighting Devils and witnessing our kind of powers if you're going to participate."

Josuke felt himself flinch at that, but slowly nodded as he kept his eyes on his cup. "Right… So how did Issei's training today go?" He asked, trying to change the subject at hand.

"Today we just went over the basics of what he'll be learning for the rest of his time until the match." Akeno explained, taking a seat in the open chair next to him. "He has a lot to learn, but he's working hard. I believe he'll get it down in time."

"Issei seemed pretty determined to get stronger. I wonder if ten days is enough, though…" Okuyasu hummed as he sipped his tea. "In kung fu movies and stuff, they usually take months or even a year to train before they fight the big bosses."

"We haven't been granted that long to train, sadly." He heard Rias answer, the crimson haired Devil walking out of the kitchen and smiling at the group. "But even so, I think together we can help Issei become much stronger even in so short of time."

"I hope you're right." Josuke sighed, scratching his chin in thought. "So this guy has been in Rating Games before, right? Are there any videos or films that we can watch?"

"Rating Games are observed by other Devils, but most usually they are not recorded in such a way. Why do you ask?" Rias inquired, tilting her head in question.

"It just would have been nice to know what we're dealing with." Josuke admitted, leaning on one hand and humming. "If we could observe some of his previous games like a football team before game day, we could have at least watched out for his strategy and seen what his peerage is capable of. I know that might sound like cheating for this kind of game, but I don't know the rules to it."

"It wouldn't be if we had some recordings." Rias declared, shaking her head. "It's actually not a bad idea. Sadly I don't believe such things exist. But we do know the powers of Riser and his queen, Yubelluna, if that helps. When we go over the plan, we'll explain it in more detail."

Josuke hummed in acknowledgement, taking one more sip of his tea before setting it down. "Be honest with me, Rias. How strong is this Riser guy and his queen? Strong as you?"

Rias smile quickly faded and her eyes fell to the table. Finally she shook her head and gazed into his eyes. "He's stronger than I am. Know this, Josuke. The name Phenex is befitting of his family. They are basically immortal, physical damage done to them regenerated incredibly fast, even faster than an average Devils."

"S-seriously?! He can take a shit ton of damage?!" Okuyasu guffawed, his jaw dropping to the table.

"Truthfully they do eventually wear themselves down if they take enough damage that they have to keep regenerating. But that still requires a hefty amount to be delivered." Akeno answered this time, glancing at Josuke. "If anyone here could deliver so much damage in so little time, it would be-"

"They understand, Akeno. No need to explain further." Rias suddenly interrupted. Josuke bit his bottom lip, knowing her reason for stopping the raven haired Devil. Akeno might not have been trying to, but her words stung at his heart.

"So what about the queen. How strong is she?" Josuke asked further, deciding to ignore the previous topic.

"I'd say she's almost as strong as I am, but a bit weaker." Akeno declared with a kind yet proud smile. "I will most likely be battling her directly while everyone else is fighting the lower pieces." Josuke furrowed his brow for a moment before holding his chin in reflection. The raven haired Devil tilted her head in question as she waited for his reply. "Do you think I'm incapable of beating her?"

"It's not that." Josuke suggested, glancing back at Akeno from the side. "You probably can beat her. But the problem is whether they know it or not." Josuke pointed out, glancing at Akeno and Rias. "Is it common knowledge how strong you are?"

"Akeno-sempai is called the Priestess of Thunder and is considered quite powerful for a Devil at her age, just as president is." Kiba pointed out, seemingly interested in what Josuke was driving at. "They most likely expect her to be quite strong."

"Then they may not chance having you fight the queen head on anyways." Josuke explained, turning back to Akeno. "While she may or may not be on the same level as you, they may not want to leave it to chance."

"What exactly are you suggesting, Josuke-kun?" Rias asked curiously, crossing her arms under her chest.

"Don't let Akeno-chan fight her head on." Josuke stated firmly, glancing around the table. "They may not want to risk letting Akeno-chan joining you in the fight with Riser, so they may take precautions. I doubt they'll cheat, but they might plan a surprise attack on her."

"There's a problem, though." Koneko finally spoke, grabbing his attention. "Among the peerage, none of us are strong as Akeno-sempai or president. We wouldn't be able to stand up to her on our own either."

"Then maybe you should fight her, Rias." Josuke suggested, turning his attention to the crimson haired Devil.

"I have to reserve my power for the fight with Riser." Rias explained, shaking her head. "It should be me who fights him head on. I won't mind receiving help from everyone once his pieces have been dealt with, but until then it will be up to me to keep him in check."

"That damn flaming chicken shit will probably see that coming, but he won't do anything out of the ordinary against you I think. He'll probably try to act dominant by beating you by himself..." Josuke hummed, holding his chin. Joining the peerage might have been up in the air at the moment, but helping them strategize was at least something he could do. Despite the kind of man that Riser was, he doubted that he went into Rating Games without any semblance of a plan. Perhaps one of his pieces did the strategizing for him, anyways.

"Hey, Josuke!" Issei called out, popping his head in from the kitchen and pulling the tall teen from his musings. "Mind coming here real quick? We could uh… use your help…"

"Huh? My help?" Josuke quirked a brow curiously. "I don't know how to cook any more than you do."

"J-just come help us out real quick!" Issei snapped before disappearing back into the kitchen without waiting for an answer. Josuke sighed before standing from his seat and walking past the others to the kitchen. As he entered, he blinked as he noticed all of the peeled potatoes and onions lying around on the kitchen counter. Issei stood there scratching his head sheepishly with Asia giving an apologetic smile.

"Think you guys carved enough of them?" Josuke quipped, walking up and picking a potato up in his hand.

"I-it was sort of an accident from a spurred moment." Issei admitted with his sigh. "Mind fixing a bunch so se don't have to use them all?"

"Yeah, yeah." Josuke agreed, a pinkish aura surrounding one in his hand and immediately restoring it to an uncarved state. "But how'd you get so fired up peeling potatoes?"

Issei lit up at this, smiling broadly as he picked up the same potato Josuke had fixed. "Watch this! It's the result of my training!" He declared before staring at the starch intently. After a moment, it suddenly exploded, its skin shooting off of it harmlessly. "Ta-da~!"

"It really is amazing, Issei-san!" Asia marveled, her eyes shining as she watched. Josuke seemed a bit lost on the excitement, only raising a brow as he took the potato back.

"You… learned how to peel a potato with your powers?" Josuke drawled, unsure how he was supposed to feel about this.

"N-no, not just that! Akeno-sempai was teaching me how to focus my magic!" Issei quickly explained before sighing. "Sadly Asia has a better affinity for it, but I'm at least getting better! It's just like when I blew off that Fallen Angel's clothes! Except now I can do it whenever I want!"

"... Congrats?" Josuke hesitantly offered, unsure how to feel about this revelation. "I mean, I'm glad you're improving and all, but I'm not sure how it'll help in a fight…"

"Trust me, Josuke. It'll help. It'll take them by such surprise, they won't know what to do!" Issei proclaimed excitedly, chuckling mischievously as his cheeks reddened. Josuke struggled to find words to respond, giving in and just sighing in defeat. _I really hope ten days is enough._

 **To be Continued...**

 **Okay, so this chapter wasn't supposed to be this short, but the training arc was dragging much longer than I had expected, so I decided to split it up. We'll be finishing the training next chapter and will soon find out what the final choice will be for Josuke and his internal battle over his soul! Sorry if you were hoping for more, just know the rest will be coming soon so don't be too worried about it.**

 **On another note: props to Spartan-140 for getting the Overwatch reference last chapter XD**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Issei's eyes danced around the dinner table as he observed each girl intently. Almost as if he had some sort of X-ray vision, their clothes seemed to disappear and exposing their nude bodies to him, even if it was only his imagination. _The source of your magic is your imagination._ Akeno's words during their training rang through his head, his face reddening as he continued to look around at them. _Forming a clear image is essential._

 _I can totally agree with that~!_ Issei chuckled to himself, unable to keep the gross smile off of his face. _Like Koneko-chan said, my specialty is being a pervert. So I'll just keep visualizing the girls and their tits!_

"You're making a gross face, you know that?" Josuke pulled him from his thoughts with a chuckle from his side, currently biting into his mashed potatoes.

"It looks lewd." Koneko added, narrowing her eyes in suspicion at the brunette.

"I-I don't know what you mean!" Issei nervously laughed, rubbing the back of his head.

"How did you feel about your training today?" Rias asked this time with a hopeful smile. "Did you learn anything?"

Issei's good mood fell at that, slightly frowning in shame. "Yeah, that I'm the weakest here." He admitted, his gaze falling to the table.

"Yes, without a doubt." Rias bluntly agreed, Issei noticing his best friend wince slightly from her words. "But Asia's healing ability and your **Boosted Gear** are both valuable resources to us during the game. At least, during your time here, you should be able to learn how to defend yourselves and not drag others down."

"G-got it…" Issei agreed weakly, turning his gaze over to Asia. _I hadn't thought about it at first, but it's my fault that she's involved in all this._ He realized, eyes softening before hardening with conviction. _If anything, I'll become stronger so I can protect her in all this._ Asia suddenly felt his eyes on her, cheeks reddening as he continued to stare at her.

"Well, since we're done eating now, I think it'd be a good time for us to take a bath." Rias suddenly declared, standing from the table and leaning on it.

"A bath?!" Issei suddenly blurted without hesitation, hearing his best friend sighing in disappointment from the side but giving it no thought.

"You don't have to get excited just at the mention of it, dude…" Okuyasu muttered with a sweat drop, blown away by his outburst.

"Oh, Issei. Were you planning on peeking on us?" Rias teased, the brunette flinching like he'd already been caught. "I don't mind if you join us as well. What do you say, Asia? Would you mind your beloved joining us?"

"Eh?!" Asia yelped, her face becoming beet red as she suddenly found the floor to be more interesting to look at. Without a word, she actually nodded in acceptance, Issei grinning wider as this seemed to actually be coming true.

"S-seriously?! You lucky bastard…" Okuyasu whined, tears pouring down his cheeks as he planted his head in the table to hide his grief. Josuke only rolled his eyes as he continued to eat, deciding not to speak up about it at this point.

"Akeno, what do you say?" Rias asked, turning to her Queen this time and smiling. "Would you be alright if he joined us?"

Akeno tilted her head in thought for a moment as a serene smile crossed her lips, giggling in excitement as she held a hand to her cheek. "Well, I don't see any problem… that is, if you can convince Josuke-kun to join us as well."

Issei heard the taller teen start to choke, glancing over to see him with a spoon in his mouth and pounding his chest to get out what got caught in there. He gave Josuke a moment to catch his breath before grinning hopefully. "Now, Josuke…"

"No." Josuke quickly shot it down, his cheeks red as he kept his eyes away from the others. Okuyasu suddenly grabbed his shirt, eyes still pouring with tears.

"You bastard! Be a man and accept when a hot chick invites you to a bath!" The punk growled, shaking his fellow Stand user in aggravation.

"Come on, Josuke-kun. It could be fun~! I've always wanted to wash a man's back." Akeno admitted with a giggle. Josuke's eye twitched before he threw Okuyasu's hands away from him and groaned.

"No, thanks." He rejected, immediately causing Issei to deflate.

"I guess it's a no then." Rias giggled this time, shaking her head as Issei flopped onto the ground in defeat. "Too bad."

"I wouldn't have let you come anyway." Koneko declared with a glare. "And if you peek, I'll hate you."

Not long after did the teens all move to the bath, the boys and girls side separated by a thick wall. The pools were large, each side big enough to be their own hot spring. The girls quickly undressed and made their way into the waters. Asia and Koneko both sat in the shower side, scrubbing away at their bodies while Rias and Akeno lounged by the pool.

"I'm so glad we have this here. Hopefully it'll alleviate any fatigue from today's training, if only a bit." Rias breathed out laxly, glancing down at her queen who smiled in return.

"Without a doubt, I believe it will." Akeno agreed, resting against the rock wall of the bath. Asia watched the two for a moment, her eyes falling to their large assets before gazing down at her own. By comparison, she truly was outmatched in that regard. She could only sigh in defeat, scrubbing her arm tiredly.

"Don't be greedy." Koneko suddenly spoke, causing the blonde to turn to her in question. She then realized that she was indeed bigger in size than the white haired girl, who seemed a bit envious despite her attempt at being stoic.

"W-well…" Asia trailed off, unsure how to respond to her words. On the other side of the wall, the boys were also trying to relax in the hot pools of the spring. All except Issei, who was currently leaning against the wall focusing with all of his might in hopes to make it disappear before his eyes. Unfortunately for him, it remained standing and in his way.

"I can't believe they had an entire hotspring in this place. Talk about luxurious." Josuke sighed contently as he put his arms up on the rock wall.

"She is from a noble family or somethin', right? I guess it's even more surprising to see it for myself, though…" Okuyasu admitted, looking around the bath curiously.

"The Gremory family owns many properties across the world, this mansion being among them." Kiba explained with a small smile as he dried his hair with a towel. He glanced back at Issei and sighed, shaking his head. "Issei-kun, you know it's pointless to-"

"Shut up! This is training too!" Issei retorted without skipping a beat, returning to his staring contest with the wall.

"Are you trying to become clairvoyant?" Kiba asked almost seriously, unsure how to feel about his attempt to fight a wall.

"Ignore him. He's going to keep at it until his head explodes." Josuke rolled his eyes as he tried to relax.

"As shameful as he is, there's somethin' you gotta admire about his determination to peek…" Okuyasu suggested thoughtfully, watching the brunette in mild amazement.

"Okuyasu-san. There is something I'd like to ask you while I can." Kiba suddenly spoke, turning the punk's attention to him. "I know this might be a personal question, but it does pertain to the coming event. Have you considered joining president's peerage?"

Josuke and Issei suddenly became more interested, the pervert turning away from the wall to look back at Okuyasu. The punk was understandably taken back by the question, a bead of sweat dripping down his brow. He looked around, unsure how to answer and seeing if anyone could offer one for him. Sadly, no one gave him any ideas. He gulped after a moment, realizing he would have to answer this one alone.

"I… I'm not that smart, you know?" Okuyasu finally spoke before glancing up at the blond and meeting his eyes. "I always had my bro to answer shit like this for me. But before I met you guys, that… Myrcella chick asked me to join her peerage." He explained, his brow furrowing in anger for a brief moment just at the mention of her name. "My big bro wasn't there to answer for me, and I didn't know what to say… so I just followed my gut and said no."

"Do you consider president to be the same as her?" Kiba asked, his tone soft and almost hurt by the implication. He revered Rias highly after all. Picking up on this, Okuyasu quickly waved his arms.

"N-no, that's not what I'm sayin'!" He quickly dismissed. "You guys are really cool… I can tell. Myrcella, I just couldn't trust her. Somethin' always felt off with her that kinda scared me…" He explained further, his eyes falling to the pool. "Turns out I was right… but that's not what I was gettin' at. It's what happened after that…"

 _Okuyasu watched as the silver haired Devil departed from their home, taking a deep breath in relief as her presence finally left the worn down house. "She's pretty damn intense…" He muttered, rubbing the back of his head. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, turning around at heading up the stairs._

" _Well, that was a bit of a surprise." He heard from the top, looking up to see his brother Keicho standing there leaning against the wall._

" _B-big bro?" Okuyasu muttered in question, unsure of what he was talking about._

" _I didn't think you had it in you to turn down Myrcella like that." Keicho declared, his eyes critically watching his younger brother. "I figured you'd be enraptured by her beauty or her offers of a long life. Why did you say no?"_

 _Okuyasu blinked for a moment before scratching the side of his head shyly. "I-I dunno… gut just didn't feel right. I don't really trust her I guess…" he answered, unsure if his brother would accept such words._

 _Keicho watched him silently for a long moment, only serving to make Okuyasu feel a bit anxious. But finally, he chuckled. "Here I thought all hope for you was lost."_

" _Wh-what?" Okuyasu mumbled in question, unsure what he meant._

" _Listen here, Okuyasu. If you had accepted her offer and become a Devil, all hope for you growing as a man and mentally would be lost." Keicho explained, pushing off the wall and standing tall as he gazed down at his brother. "You would forever be at the whim of that woman and would make no attempts to improve yourself. She would keep you under her thumb and use you only for her own agenda."_

" _Y-you think so?" Okuyasu replied dumbly, a finger to his chin as he tried to understand what his brother was getting at._

" _Of course. Perhaps one day once you've improved yourself, you'll be ready to become a Devil if you so wish it." Keicho nodded before walking toward his own room. "Until then, it's better for you to be your own man." He suddenly stopped for a moment, glancing back at the punk for a moment before scoffing. "Hmph. That's probably the first time I've ever felt a bit of pride for you."_

" _What?" Okuyasu gawked, though his brother didn't speak further, only retreating further into the hallway toward his own room. The punk looked down, feeling a bit happy. Happier than he'd been in a long time._

"That was the first time my bro ever said he was… proud of me…" Okuyasu explained, his story of that day now over. His hands gripped until his knuckles were white, struggling to think of his brother without thinking about the moment he was taken. "So I thought that… maybe, until I think I'm really ready, that I'd be my own man. If not for me, then for my big bro. So that I can grow on my own…" He then looked up at Kiba, his brow softening a bit. "I really wanna help you guys out, but I wasn't sure how I could. I thought maybe if I came up here, it would be enough… I'm sorry if it isn't…"

The three other men watched him, a newfound understanding within all of them of the punk and his motivations. Kiba sighed before shaking his head and giving a small smile. "Your support through this time is very welcome, Okuyasu-san. We all appreciate it, even if you're unable to participate."

"N-no problem…" Okuyasu chuckled bashfully, rubbing the back of his head. Issei and Josuke smiled at the him, happy to hear the reason for themselves.

* * *

"Long ago, there was a great war between the Devils, Angels and Fallen Angels waged a horrific war that seemed to last for ages."

It had been several days into their training time, and things seemed to be progressing, even if a bit slowly. Josuke and Okuyasu had spent their time working on Jotaro's advised techniques while everyone else had been busy working with Issei and Asia on their development. Now, they were taking a moment to go over the history of the Rating Games and their purpose in the hierarchy of Devils. Aside from Okuyasu, who was dozing off as she spoke, the newest members of her peerage and Josuke listened intently to the tale.

"When the war finally came to the end, no side was declared the victor. All had suffered great losses, and so it ended in a ceasefire, though not to be confused with a treaty." The crimson haired Devil continued, her eyes focused mainly on those unaware of its origin. "Devils, despite their nigh eternal lifespans, breed at an incredibly slow rate. After the war, our species was pushed to the brink of extinction. Those from the noble families, once called the Seventy Two Pillars, were mostly wiped out. The only remaining families were that of house Gremory, my own, house Sitri, Sona's family, and house Phenex. That is why Devils began to make humans into their servants. That is why the Rating Games came into being."

"This gave new Devils and their masters a chance to display their abilities. Currently, one's performance during a Rating Game can influence both a Devil's rank and position among the nobles." Rias took a quick breath, a bit winded by the long winded explanation. She smiled and relaxed her cheeks. "We can take a break, now. You've all been working quite hard."

"I'll make us some tea." Akeno volunteered, standing up and departing toward the kitchen.

"Ah, I'll help you!" Asia offered, standing up to follow the queen.

"Hey, Asia." Issei called out, stopping the blonde for a moment. "About last night… sorry." He apologized sheepishly, Asia immediately blushing and shaking her head.

"I-it was no problem at all, really! You were doing very well on-" She tried to encourage until the brunette shushed her, shaking his head.

"L-let's keep it a secret for now until I've got it down, okay? It's not really usable yet." Issei reasoned, to which Asia quickly understood and nodded.

"I'll help you as much as possible to keep strengthening your ultimate move, okay?" Asia volunteered happily.

"Ultimate move?" Josuke repeated,elbowing Okuyasu awake as he spoke, looking between the two suspiciously. "What are you guys working on?"

"Wh-what'd I miss?" Okuyasu mumbled, drool dripping from the edge of his mouth.

"Sorry, but it's a secret~!" Asia giggled, putting a finger to her lips. Josuke narrowed his eyes at Issei, the brunette chuckling awkwardly as he tried to avert his eyes away from his best friend.

"What's this about a secret, Issei?" Josuke asked, wrapping an arm around his neck and glaring at him. "What happened to telling each other everything?"

"I-I will tell you, eventually! I-I'm just not sure how well this move is actually going to work out…" Issei quickly explained, shaking his head. "I want to be sure it works before anything."

Josuke eyed him suspiciously for a long moment before sighing, releasing Issei from his hold and nodding. "Alright, do what you have to."

"I hate to interrupt the lovers quarrel, but I have something to ask of you Asia." Rias giggled, ignoring the exasperated grunts from the two best friends as she looked to her bishop.

"M-me, president?" Asia asked with uncertainty.

"You were a nun once, after all. Would you mind explaining to us what those from the church would do if they encountered a Devil?" Rias inquired, Asia tilting her head in wonder before nodding in acceptance.

"Let me retrieve a few things first." the former nun said before running off to her room.

"You think that she might know something that can help?" Josuke asked, glancing at Rias curiously.

"It doesn't hurt to hear what our natural enemies were able to use against us. Perhaps it will come in handy." Rias suggested with a shrug. "There is no harm in it."

The blonde soon returned with a bible in hand and a small bottle of water with a band across the middle, a cross etched into the designs. She placed the items on a small table and stood in front of the group where Rias once was, waiting for Akeno to return before speaking. "Okay, so normally those in the church who deal with Devils carry two items of note. The first item would be holy water." Asia explained, holding up the bottle for the others to see. "Devil's like you all should not touch it."

"Uh, what happens if we do?" Issei asked curiously.

"Something very bad!"

"An ambiguous answer like that makes it a bit scarier than it should be…" Issei sighed as a sweat drop formed on his head.

"Asia, don't forget that you're a Devil as well." Rias reminded her, quickly making the former nun wince.

"Poor girl…" Josuke sighed, seeing her struggle in beliefs.

"R-right, I forget sometimes…" Asia mumbled a bit miserably before setting the bottle down and grabbing the good book. "The second item is the Bible. I've read it ever since childhood…" she declared, her smile quickly faltering as she hugged it close to her chest. "But every time I try and read just a single line, I feel a splitting pain in my head!" She cries out.

"Yes, as expected of a Devil." Rias confirmed further with a small smirk.

"Because you are a Devil." Kiba added this time.

"A Devil." Koneko followed suit.

"It does do quite a bit of damage to us, after all." Akeno giggled with her hand on her cheek.

"B-b-but there's this passage that is very enlightening!" Asia tried to reason, quickly opening the bible up. The moment she peeked at the words, she flinched in pain. "A-ah! It hurts!"

"O-oi, are you okay?" Okuyasu blinked in shock. "Didn't you just say it would hurt you?"

"You really shouldn't be hurting yourself just to read a verse." Josuke suggested, watching the blonde with a raised brow.

"I-I know, but I can't help but feel sinful for being unable to read it!" Asia admitted sadly, holding her hands together. "Oh lord, please forgive me for being incapable of reading your word…" the moment she said this, she made another attempt to peek into the book, only to be met with the same pain. "I-I can't take it!"

"Oi, Asia! What did we just-" Josuke attempted to stop her, only for the former nun to make another attempt.

"Ow!"

"Will you stop trying to-"

"It hurts, it hurts!"

"P-please… stop…" Josuke weakly reached out with one hand, the other over his mouth as he tried to contain his laughter. At this point his pity turned into amusement, having a difficult time keeping it to himself.

"I-I must at least try once more!" Asia cried out, once again met with the same pain in her head.

"Asia does seem more like the nun type than a Devil…" Okuyasu hummed in thought, glancing at the others next to him. "How'd she join you guys?"

"It's a long tale." Kiba answered with a small smile. "Perhaps it's best to hear it from her."

"Fight hard, Josuke…" Issei sighed, realizing that Asia's show was sadly not an act to make the others laugh. But even watching the sad display before him, he couldn't help but envy the blonde a bit for her natural talent with magic. One thing had become clear over their training to him. _Even Asia is more talented than I am…_

"A-Asia-chan, please, that's enough…" Josuke breathlessly spoke, hunched over next to her and holding her shoulder gently. "You're just hurting yourself… and by extension, my stomach...:"

Asia stared down at the bible in her arms longingly, a dismayed frown deepening in her features before she nodded silently and set it back down on the table. Josuke's aching stomach started to ease up, the taller teen watching her with a bit of sympathy. He spared a glance at the bible for a moment before releasing a sigh. "Hey, prez. Does hearing someone speak the gospel hurt Devils?"

"It depends on the words used in the verse, I suppose. Such as if it's some form of prayer speaking directly to him." Rias explained, raising a curious brow. "Why do you ask?"

Josuke held his chin in thought for a moment before sparing Asia a goofy grin. "Well, I guess that settles it, then. Asia-chan, if you ever think you want to hear something in the bible, I'll read it for you to hear."

Asia's face immediately lit up at that, her lips curling up into a giddy smile. "Y-you really mean that? Even before bed?!"

"Sure, if that's what you want. But if you're at Issei's house or I'm not around, I'm sure we can get you some recordings to listen to as well that could work for you." Josuke suggested thoughtfully. Asia's bottom lip trembled for a moment before she let out a happy squeal, jumping forward and hugging the tall teen tightly around his waist.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Asia rattled off in appreciation, eyes misting from the joy she felt upon hearing that.

"Don't worry about it. It's not a big deal." Josuke chuckled bashfully, rubbing the back of his head.

"Hey, now. Don't get too friendly…" Issei mumbled, though he obviously knew that Josuke wasn't trying to do anything with Asia in such a way. Said blonde sniffled a bit, looking up at the tall teen with appreciation.

"Come on, now. You don't have to cry over it." Josuke chuckled, rubbing the top of Asia's head. "You can thank me once I start reading for you, okay?"

"Okay!" Asia beamed, hugging him a bit tighter before releasing Josuke and grinning up at him. Josuke chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"My, you're such a good big brother~!" Akeno giggled, causing Josuke to tense a bit.

"Big brother? I don't know about…"

"It's fitting." Koneko suggested this time, a small amused smirk on her lips as well.

"Big brother?" Asia muttered to herself, the words rolling off the tongue quite easily when she thought of Josuke now. The tall teen wasn't sure what to say in response, though honestly it seemed to make him a bit happy and bashful.

"Come on guys, stop it…" He chuckled with a rather embarrassed smile.

"Alright, that's enough teasing Josuke." Rias giggled this time before heading toward the door. "I think we should get back to some training."

"Ah, prez, mind if we do a quick test? I wanted to try something with my Stand." Josuke quickly informed, the crimson haired Devil raising a brow in question before nodding.

"Alright, what did you have in mind?"

* * *

"Josuke, this is a little crazier than what I expected."

The group had moved outside to the main field of the mansion, Rias standing ten meters across from Josuke as he rolled his shoulders. He looked rather nervous, and for good reason. His idea was incredibly risky, and most would not suggest such an attempt. "I-I just have to be sure. It'll definitely help me in the long run if it works."

"And if it doesn't, you could be seriously injured or worse." Rias informed him further.

"Too bad it's not like **The Hand**. I could at least erase it." Okuyasu hummed thoughtfully, watching the current training with intrigue.

"Josuke, this is pretty nuts. Stop this before it's too late." Issei tried to further reason with his best friend.

"The power of Destruction is no joke, Josuke-kun. The risk of facing it head on is incredibly high." Kiba added as well. Josuke took a visible gulp but nodded still.

"I-it's just a risk I'll have to take. Let's do it." Josuke reaffirmed. Rias glanced worriedly at her peerage before sighing. "Asia, be ready at a moment's notice."

"Y-yes, president." Asia agreed, concern lacing her voice.

"Ready." Josuke called out, **Crazy Diamond** appearing in front of him with it's arms raised, ready to strike. The tall teen had sweat rolling down his temple and was biting his bottom lip anxiously, but was standing prepared regardless. Rias took a deep breath before holding up her hand, a red magic circle materializing in front of her. " **Destroy**!" She called out as she launched a moderately sized black ball of energy. Issei bit his lip in worry, Asia digging her face into his shirt in fear as it launched forward toward the tall teen. Josuke narrowed his eyes as his Stand gripped it's fists before it finally was close enough for him to intercept.

"Now!" Josuke growled, and in a flash **Crazy Diamond** reared its arm back and threw a punch at the ball of demonic energy. **DORA!** It roared, and much to Josuke's delight and everyone else's surprise, the Stand harmlessly deflected the attack, knocking it into the ground and causing it to explode away from Josuke. It was silent among the teens before Josuke started to laugh, starting out a bit strained before becoming full of mirth as he turned a goofy grin to the others. "It worked!"

Everyone, even Rias, stared dumbfounded at the Stand user. Finally Issei, Okuyasu and Asia started to cheer in relief and excitement, the three hugging one another as their friend was not only okay, but his his theory proven correct.

"To think that a Stand could deflect even my power of Destruction…" Rias muttered before smiling hopefully. "You truly are impressive, Josuke-kun."

"I'm just as amazed as you guys are, believe me." Josuke laughed in response before a determined grin found its way on his features. "One more time, but stronger!" He called out, confidence now radiating from him. Before Rias could prepare another attack though, it was Akeno who stepped forward.

"Mind if I take a shot this time? I'm very curious to see everything it can do~!" The raven haired Devil suggested, holding up a hand, electricity sparking in her palm.

"That's not a bad idea. It would be good to see if different types of energy attacks would act differently when up against his Stand." Rias agreed, stepping to the side and allowing Akeno to take her place. "But attack continuously, not with a single charged attack. I'd like to see if he can keep it up."

"Uh… I don't know how I feel about this…" Josuke admitted, a bead of sweat rolling down his brow as he watched Akeno begin to charge. Not because he didn't think it would work, but more because Akeno was a sadist and might try a little harder than he'd like to hurt him.

"I'm sure you'll be just fine~! Now get ready!" Akeno warned, only a moment later launching a torrent of lightning from her hands at the Stand user. Josuke ground his teeth anxiously, quickly summoning his Stand forward.

 **DORARARARARA~!** It growled once again, this time launching a fist rush so that he could continue to disperse the attack as it approached. The electricity met the same fate as Rias' power of Destruction, being deflected to the side even as it continued to attack. The electrical currents bounced around Josuke and off the ground, but never once hitting him. Finally Akeno ceased her attack, Josuke coming out of it unscathed. The tall teen took a breath of relief as he smiled once more. "This is **great**! I didn't get hit at all!"

"Yes, how good for you…" Akeno hummed, disappointment evident in her voice as she pouted and held her cheek in her hand.

"Don't sound too disheartened about it…" Josuke muttered with a sweat drop on the back of his head.

"Either way, that was quite amazing, Josuke-kun." Kiba praised as the peerage approached him now. "To think that you could deflect both president and Akeno-sempai's attacks is incredible."

"You're pretty cool." Koneko gave a rare smile of respect. "You'd be a lot of help."

"I should try an' do that too! It looked really awesome!" Okuyasu exclaimed with a dumb grin.

"So you didn't feel any pressure or pain during either attacks? I figured it might tax your ability if only a bit." Rias inquired thoughtfully, crossing her arms under her chest.

"No, not really. I feel just fine actu- **agh!** " Josuke began until he suddenly felt himself being shocked rather painfully, letting out a yelp. He stood for a moment longer before letting out a smokey cough and falling to the ground. Everyone blinked, confused at what had exactly happened before everyone turned slowly to Akeno. The Priestess of Thunder stood there giggling with red cheeks, holding them between her hands and wiggling in excitement.

"Akeno!" Rias scoldingly shouted, fully aware of the raven haired Devil's attack.

"I'm so sorry, but I couldn't resist~!" Akeno shamelessly giggled, a rather lewd smile on her features. "I just wanted to hear him scream a bit once."

"Wh-why would you wanna do that?!" Okuyasu exclaimed in confusion before Issei set a hand on his shoulder and gave a sympathetic frown.

"Akeno-sempai's a huge sadist." He explained simply enough, glancing back at his still crispy best friend. "Poor Josuke…"

'S-seriously?! You guys are really weird…" Okuyasu muttered fearfully, taking a small step away from Akeno as if he were afraid he might be her next victim.

"G-goddamn it, Akeno…" Josuke quietly cursed out from the ground, still having trouble getting up.

"H-here, I'll heal you up!" Asia quickly jumped to his aid, her Sacred Gear shining to life in her hands as she began to heal him.

"See? Asia-chan will make you all better. It's not so bad." Akeno giggled without remorse, licking her lips. "Besides, that was a rather cute scream…"

"Please stop talking…" Josuke groaned out as he started to push off the ground. Issei leaned down and helped him up, swinging his arm over his shoulder.

"You really are amazing." Issei chuckled with a small smile. Despite his words, Josuke could hear a bit of dissatisfaction in his voice. The tall teen raised a brow, knowing that it wasn't disdain for him. The reason quickly came to Josuke, remembering the words his best friend spoke only days before when they first started training.

 _I'm the weakest one here._

"Hey. Are you alright?" Josuke asked with a bit of concern. Issei blinked at the question before putting up a strong front and smiling.

"What are you asking me that for? You're the one who got crisped by Akeno-sempai." Issei teased with a chuckle. Josuke watched him for a moment longer before nodding silently, patting his shoulder and pushing off of him. "Thanks, I can walk now. Thank you, Asia-chan." He said, nodding to the blonde. He glanced at Rias who was currently scolding Akeno to the side, making him sigh as he approached her now.

"Akeno, please apologize to Josuke for what happened." Rias told her as she noticed him walk up.

"Fine…" Akeno sighed dejectedly, turning to Josuke only for him to hold up a hand.

"It's fine, Akeno-chan. I don't think any apology from you would be very genuine at this point." He laughed with a bit of strain, the raven haired Devil putting a finger to her chin.

"Well, if it makes you feel better I didn't do it out of anger toward you. It was quite the opposite~!"Akeno giggled with a wink before leaving the two behind. Rias and Josuke watched her leave with a sweat drop on their foreheads before they both released a breath.

"Sorry about that, Josuke-kun." Rias apologized again, crossing her arms. "I didn't think she'd attack just for fun…"

"Honestly we should expect it more from a sadist…" Josuke muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "But it's fine. I wanted to make a suggestion with Issei, though. How far do you think he's progressed now with his training?"

Rias tilted her head in question, but nonetheless nodded. "I'm listening."

"You might think you should give him a bit more time to see what he can do, but I think he's worked pretty hard." Josuke reasoned, having seen Issei's determination day after day as they closed in on the Rating Game. He had returned to the mansion dead tired, and Josuke had come upon him several times in the mornings working through the night. It was obvious he was doing everything within his power to improve. "Maybe you could let him see that. As he is right now, I think he's losing confidence. You said it so yourself before all this, right?"

Rias was silent for a moment, listening to his words intently. She turned away from Josuke and held her chin before finally humming. "One more day. One more day to prepare and rest, and I'll be sure to give him the confidence he needs. Right now, with just a bit more help, he could improve more than you think."

Josuke opened his mouth to protest but couldn't reasonably argue. "Okay, if you think it's what's best." He conceded, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I don't know how Devils can improve so quickly, so I'll trust you know what's best."

"Thank you. Speaking of which, it's time to return to his training." Rias declared, turning away from Josuke and back to her peerage before clapping her hands together. "Alright, everyone! Back to our normal schedule! Issei, I want you to get working on your aerobics again!"

"Y-yes, ma'am!" Issei nearly whined but quickly did as he was ordered, jogging in place before taking off. Josuke watched as the brunette passed by, a little unsure what some standard exercises could do for his demonic energy. But again, he had to remind himself that he still had no clue how Devils increased their power. So for now, he gave his hopes to his club president. After all, he still had his own problems to sort out.

* * *

"'For I know that I have plans for you,' declared the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" Josuke spoke, reciting a verse of Asia's choosing. It was the night before the final day of training, and as promised Josuke had begun reading to Asia when she asked it of him. She had been helping Issei each night until now, the brunette deciding to give her rest. Seeing that she had a chance to hear it now, she sought out the tall teen's help in hearing the word.

"It's so good to hear God's word again." Asia sighed contently, tucking herself in her bed with a broad smile. "Thank you, Josuke-kun. It means a lot to me that you would do this."

"It's no big deal, really. I know it must be hard for you." Josuke dismissed, placing her bible back on the table. "You used to read this all the time, right?"

Asia nodded tiredly, her features becoming a bit solemn and thoughtful. "That used to be my favorite verse… When I was cast out of the church, I would read it every day." She leaned over and grabbed the book gently, bringing it to her chest. "It always gave me comfort knowing that God was going to give me a good future. With friends that truly cared for me."

Josuke listened sympathetically, gaze falling to the floor. "I'm surprised you can say that after… everything that happened. That you… you know, still love God."

"... I know that it's strange to, as a Devil, still praise God, but… I think that, perhaps, this was the future he gave me. To be with you all." Asia released a sheepish giggle, scratching the back of her head. "As odd as becoming a Devil being his plan might sound, I'm… just so happy with you all. I can't profess to know what God thinks, but I suppose that 'he works in mysterious ways' is still accurate."

Josuke only watched Asia in silence before releasing a deep breath and nodding. "I definitely can't argue with that. Maybe you're right. Well, Asia-chan, why don't you get some sleep? Tomorrow's going to be a long day." He started to stand up, only stopping when the blonde reached out and tucked on his sleeve.

"I think that God brought you to us for a reason, too." Asia spoke quietly, looking up at Josuke with hopeful eyes. "Whether it's to stay human or become a Devil, I don't know. But don't feel bad with whatever you choose, okay? We all know how much you care." She said, giving a kind smile. Josuke's eyes softened at her words, unsure what he could return to the blonde in response. The best he could muster was, "Thanks, Asia-chan. Good night."

He tried to pull away once again, but still found Asia's hand firmly gripping his sleeve. He blinked for a moment before raising a brow at Asia. "What's wrong?"

Asia's eyes were hidden by her hair, her cheeks a bit red. "Um… would you mind if I…" she hesitantly spoke, peeking out behind her blonde locks. "If I uh…"

"Come on, just say it. You don't have to act so formal." Josuke chuckled, turning back to her.

"If I… called you Josuke-nii-chan?"

Josuke felt his heart skip a beat for a moment, his breath hitching as Asia now stared up at him with adorable puppy eyes. "Wh-what?"

"A-ah, I'm so sorry! I hope that doesn't sound too embarrassing!" Asia squeaked, hiding her face under the blanket. "I-it's just that when Akeno-sempai and the others called you my big brother, it… it felt really good." She admitted, peering out from the covers with only her eyes. "You always look out and watch over me. Different than how Issei does… It makes me happy to know that I have someone like a big brother."

Josuke didn't know what to say, taken back and rather touched by Asia's words. In fact he could almost feel tears filling his eyes. _B-be a man, she just asked you to be her big brother…_ He pushed back his tears and ran an arm over his eyes before releasing a small chuckle, grinning kindly at the blonde.

"Alright, you can if you want." He agreed, reaching out and rubbing the top of her head. "But nii-chan sounds kinda long. So why don't you just call me Josuke-nii instead? Make it easier for you."

Asia beamed with happiness, bursting out of the sheets and wrapping her arms around his neck tightly. "Okay, Josuke-nii!" The tall teen felt his heart take another hit when she called him that, struggling to keep his manly exterior as he patted her on the back.

"A-alright, alright. You can call me that all you want tomorrow, okay? Now get some rest." Josuke told her, holding Asia's shoulders and pushing her back onto the bed. The blonde continued to smile and nodded, wrapping the sheets around her again before lying back in the bed.

"Okay! Good night, Josuke-nii!" She bid farewell before letting out a small sound. "Oh, before you go! I'd like you to have something!" She sat up and dug into the drawer next to her bed, pulling out a small box and holding it up to the taller teen.

"Wh-whoa Asia-chan, you can't just call me your big brother then-" Josuke started to panic before the blonde quickly shook her head.

"Th-that's not what this is! Don't get that idea!" She quickly dismissed before opening the box. Inside was a sterling silver crucifix adorned with a long chain. "I would like you to have this as a token of my appreciation. I can… no longer wear it anymore, as it harms Devils just like holy water and reading the word." She admitted before smiling again. "But perhaps it will help bring you protection and peace of mind instead."

Josuke hesitated for a moment before gingerly taking the rosary from Asia's box and holding it in his hand. "I can't take this from you…"

"It's okay, really. I want you to have it in hopes that it will bless you." Asia declared with a kind smile. "Please accept it."

Josuke took a moment to stare down at the crucifix before silently putting it around his neck, adorning the necklace. "I know how much this means to you, so I'll wear it proudly."

"I'm glad to hear it." Asia giggled before lying back down in her bed. "I think I'm ready to go to bed now. Good night, Josuke-nii."

"Good night, Asia-chan." Josuke chuckled, patting her on the head before walking out the door and closing it gently behind him. Once he was out, he knelt over and held his chest in his hand. "Oh, my heart… took too many hits…" He breathed out before pushing back up to start walking. He moved down the hallway toward his own room, wanting to get some rest himself. Though with the final day approaching, he found it hard to rest. His own timeline was approaching and it was not going to be easy either way.

He walked through the hall on the edge of the mansion, the moon's light shining through like a star. He only cast a brief glance out at the night for a moment, but it was enough to catch sight of two figures. He stopped in his tracks as the silhouettes became clear to him: Rias was resting on the outside balcony against one of the pillars while Issei stood only a few feet away, the two apparently in their own deep conversation. He took a moment to watch them, considering listening for a moment before dismissing the idea, thinking it was best to leave them alone to their own talk. But before he left, he could make out some of what was being said.

"I want to be viewed as Rias, not just as the heir to the Gremory family."

Josuke found himself stopping for a moment, turning his head to listen more closely.

"Because of who I am and the family I come from, I am only ever viewed by others as Rias Gremory of house Gremory and not as just… Rias. Me." The crimson haired Devil further explained, pushing off the ground and standing in the moonlight.

"Do you hate… being in your family?" Issei asked curiously, watching his master with a bit of awe.

"No, I don't. In fact I'm quite proud to be apart of my family." Rias dismissed, shaking her head. "But even so, I still have my small dream. To fall in love with a man who sees me as just Rias, and not as Rias Gremory. It's a bit selfish and complicates certain feelings within me, but… I still desire it above anything. It's why I want to win this." She turned her gaze back to her servant, green orbs shining with conviction. "I want a chance to achieve my dream. To meet a man as myself and be loved for me."

Silence fell again as Rias' words hung in the air, Issei and apparently Josuke both taking a moment to process her words. The tall teen could only frown at his own selfishness, knowing that because he wasn't willing to give up his own life, Rias would lose hers. But the fear of regret hung inside him, living a life that wasn't by his choosing but out of obligation to a friend. Would he be okay with that? Rias herself was fighting for a chance to be seen as her own woman. It was now a bit more evident as to why Rias felt that they had the same idea. Perhaps she was right. _Still makes me feel pretty selfish…_

"I-I'd love you for you!"

Josuke found himself blinking before glancing back outside, knowing those words came from Issei.

"I don't really know anything about the Gremory family or how the Devil world works, but to me… Rias is Rias! I-I mean… I-I'd love you for who you are, and I don't know anything about all that complicated stuff! I… I care about you!" Issei proclaimed proudly, speaking his mind without holding back.

… _. What a romantic…_ Josuke had to admit, he was impressed by Issei's small speech. He wasn't sure if it was a true confession with the way he had worded it, but it definitely put his feelings out there. Rias was also stunned silent, her cheeks red. Josuke didn't feel comfortable listening further, deciding to leave with that. While Issei's mind was unclouded on what he was going to do, Josuke didn't feel so sure. The tall teen stopped in front of his room, taking a moment to assess whether he truly wished to return there. After a moment, he decided to take a walk instead.

Josuke wasn't sure what possessed him to walk into the forest, pacing much farther than he had planned. He only wanted to go outside for a breath of fresh air. But the moment Josuke set foot outside, the restless feeling came back. He couldn't stop walking, his legs carrying him past the tree line and further into the forest on the ridge of the mansion. Finally the tall teen's legs stopped as he arrived to a clearing, a small pool of a pond stretching over twenty meters in front of him. Josuke found his way to a chopped wood stump, plopping down on it and staring out at the water.

 _Whatever choice you make, do it with a clear conscience._

He gripped his head in frustration, hunching over in his lap.

 _But you have a choice. I know you want to help, but… I can't let you help like this._

Josuke's teeth grinded in frustration, sweat dripping down his forehead. Josuke wished he had asked Issei's opinion, wanting more advice on his current predicament. But the brunette had been too busy with his own training, and Josuke didn't want to trouble him with the question. Perhaps he was also afraid of what answer he might give as well. Either way, it was still ultimately his choice.

"Damn it!" Josuke cursed in resentment, picking up a rock and throwing it into the pond. "Why does this shit have to be so hard?!"

"You seem quite troubled."

Josuke almost tripped on his own feet when he heard someone speak behind him. He quickly whipped around, eyes landing on a man who he was unfamiliar with, though looked very familiar. He was a man who looked to be in his late twenties, possibly thirties, and was quite handsome. His skin was a fair white and his eyes piercing green orbs that shone in the moonlight. His attire was that of a classical nature, looking almost victorian in style with a black vest over a gray tunic. His most notable feature was his crimson red hair that reached down his shoulders.

"Y-you…" Josuke muttered, eyes now wide in shock. "Look just like Rias…"

"Excuse our intrusion, Josuke-sama." A more familiar voice spoke, walking out from behind the red haired stranger came Grayfia who wore her usual stoney visage. "But my husband heard of your dilemma and wished to speak with you personally."

"Husband?" Josuke repeated and it immediately clicked in. "A-ah, you're Rias' older brother, right?"

"That's correct. You may call me Sirzechs-san if it is comfortable enough for you." Sirzechs spoke with a calm smile, bowing politely. "It's an honor to meet one of your bloodline."

"A-ah, right. It's nice to meet you too, sir." Josuke bowed back before watching him carefully. "But you said that… you can help me with my dilemma?"

"That's right. I have something that will make it a bit easier for you to choose." The Crimson haired Maou declared, holding up a transparent Knight piece in his hand. "Would you mind if we spoke for a while? I know it's late, but I think you'll want to hear this."

Josuke could only raise a brow, unsure of what the Maou had to offer. But with no reason to object, the tall teen nodded.

* * *

"It's almost time…" Issei muttered to himself, glancing at the clock by his bed. The final training day at the mansion had come and gone, and much to the brunette's delight he had advanced far more than he ever suspected. Rias had given him the confidence to see that he was actually one of the team's greatest assets. He boosted over twelve times, far beyond what he was originally capable of, and even blew away the tip of a mountain. It had given him the morale boost he truly needed, and felt more confident than ever in their chances in the Rating Game. Only one thing had been missing that would have made the final day perfect.

"But still no sign of Josuke…" Issei muttered, eyes drifting to the floor with a bit solemnly. It was true, the tall teen had disappeared without a word, the others unable to find him. He had become increasingly worried once they returned home to find he was not back at his house either, but Rias had told him not to worry. She suspected that this was the result of his final choice. She wanted to find Josuke as well, reassure him that his choice was nothing to be ashamed of. But regardless of how she felt, Rias had to keep her focus on the Rating Game to come.

"Issei?" The soft voice of Asia pulled Issei away from his thoughts, glancing at the door to see the blonde peeking in at him. "Is it okay to come in?"

"Of course, go ahead." Issei encouraged, only raising a brow once he saw that she was now wearing her standard nun outfit, though without her rosary and mantle. "That outfit…"

"Rias said that I should fight in what I'm most comfortable in." Asia explained, turning her gaze away as he cheeks became red. "I thought it over and over and despite my current status I still can't help but be most comfortable in this…"

"Ah, I see…" Issei hummed in understanding before giving a small smile. "It does suit you more than anything. Don't get me wrong, you look great in whatever you wear, but that look is still the most fitting for you."

"Thank you, it means a lot." Asia giggled bashfully, slowly walking over to his bed. "Would you mind if I… sit with you until it's time to go?"

Issei gave a quick nod and scooted over in his bed. "Feel free. I'd like that, actually."

"Thank you, again." Asia smiled before taking a seat. Without asking, she quickly wrapped her arms around his, leaning into the brunette with a fearful look, doing her best to keep from trembling. "I-I'm sorry. It's just that… looking forward to the oncoming battle makes me nervous."

Issei gave a sympathetic frown, reaching over and gently gripping her hand. "Don't worry, it's the same for me. I had to stay here for the night or I'd be even more worried, too." He admitted. Silence fell upon them for a moment, Asia tightening her hold on his arm.

"I-is it okay if I stay with you until we leave?"

"Of course. It'll make me feel better too."

…

…

"Issei-san?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think Josuke-nii will come?"

Issei's eyes widened for a moment before he frowning in thought. It was a question he had been fighting with in his own head throughout the final hours until the fight. It had seemed strange that Josuke would just run off without a word, as he had never done so before. Issei knew Josuke as a man to face his problems head on, even if they made him nervous. Finally he gave the strongest grin he could to comfort the blonde. "Definitely. He always comes through for us, right?"

"Right…" Asia nodded quietly, a small smile of her own gracing her lips. "He's always looking out for us."

"Right…"

...

"Asia-chan… did you call Josuke 'Josuke-nii?"

* * *

The time had finally come to gather together, the stroke of midnight approaching slowly. Rias and her peerage awaited Grayfia for the final confirmation of the beginning of the Rating Game. Josuke was still nowhere in sight, but Okuyasu had come at least to give his support. While Issei could feel the tension of the upcoming battle, he was a bit surprised to see that the others were a bit more relaxed, even Rias was merely sipping on a cup of tea. _Talk about nerves of steel. I'm over here all jittery but everyone else seems cool as an icecube._

Issei was pulled away from his musings when he heard the door open, glancing to the side to see Sona Sitri and Tsubaki Shinra walk in, both in school uniform and stoic expressions as usual.

"Ah, Sona. Good to see you. Is everything ready for the broadcast?" Rias inquired, turning in her chair to look directly at her childhood friend.

"That's correct. Once it has begun, the Maou and the involved households will be able to spectate without problem." Sona confirmed, glancing around the room. "Are you ready for your match?"

"As ready as I can be, same for my peerage." Rias affirmed with a small smirk. "I'll try to make things interesting for everyone watching."

"Yeah, get out there and kick their asses!" Okuyasu cheered them on with a goofy grin. "Teach that flamin' bastard what for!"

"We'll do our best, Okuyasu-san. Thank you for taking the time to be there for us through this." Kiba said in appreciation.

Sona took another look over the room before releasing a sigh. "So I take it that he did not accept?"

Rias frowned slightly, easily guessing who she was talking about. "It was Josuke's choice to begin with. I hold no anger over his decision."

"Maybe so, but I figured he'd at least show up to support us." Issei spoke suddenly, biting his bottom lip. "I just… don't understand why he wouldn't…" He began to vent, but stopped when he noticed a light shine from the floor, glancing behind the couch to see a white magic circle appear.

"It's time." Rias spoke, taking a deep breath before standing up and waiting patiently for the Strongest Queen to appear before them. The entire peerage stood, turning to the magic circle expectantly. Much to their shock, Grayfia was not alone when she began to materialize.

Next to her stood none other than Josuke, who gave a rather confident grin.

"Hey, everyone. Sorry I disappeared on you like that. So, are we all ready to get this game started?"

 **To be continued…**

 **Oh ho ho~! Looks like we're finally about to get started on the Rating Game! I cannot tell you how much I wanted to get to this point, taking some time to wonder if I should just skip over the training all together XD Of course I wasn't going to, so instead I tried to fill the training segment with as much character moments as I could as to make it more enjoyable and delve into several people more this time.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed, as I said before this chapter was shaping up to be much longer than I had wanted so I chopped it in half. The oncoming battle should be just as long, and I may plan to make it over 20 thousand words long like I did with the battle against Raynare, but if you guys think I should split it up give me your thoughts.**

 **Alright, so that's the end of the chapter! What has Sirzechs done to make things easier for Josuke to decide? Guess you'll have to find out once this all finally begins, until next time everyone!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I own neither JoJo's Bizarre Adventure or Highschool DxD**

 **Chapter 15**

 _Josuke had to admit that he felt a bit apprehensive speaking to both Grayfia and Sirzechs at the same time. Alone. One was called the Strongest Queen and the other was a Maou, apparently one of the four strongest beings among the Devils currently living. Not to mention he was considered royalty. Speaking to someone from such a high position was a bit unnerving for the tall teen, but Josuke did his best to at least seem placid in their presence. He gulped a bit and stood straight as he watched them walk forward, remaining calm as they drew closer._

" _You can take a seat again if it helps you relax, Josuke-kun. I just wish to talk." Sirzechs spoke gently, offering a small smile as he spoke._

" _A-ah, sure…" Josuke nodded, taking a seat on the stump he once occupied. Grayfia snapped her fingers, and moments later two chairs materialized from a magic circle a few feet away from Josuke. Grayfia and Sirzechs helped themselves to the seats, their eyes remaining on the lone Stand user._

" _So… I'm guessing this is about the game?" Josuke inquired, a bit anxious about what the Maou would have to offer. Especially if he came here himself to deliver it._

" _Perhaps. But before I get to that, I would like to know a bit about you." Sirzechs declared, crossing a leg over the other. "Firstly, what is your relationship with Rias and her peerage?"_

 _Josuke raised a brow at that, somewhat expecting that Grayfia would have already explained this to the Maou. But, deciding that perhaps she hadn't or that Sirzechs just wished to hear it for himself, he explained. "Rias saved Issei when he was killed by a Fallen Angel. Issei is my best friend, and so I just sort of joined the group when he did. After some time, I started to become friends with everyone. Your sister included. They've been helping me since I met them, and so I've been trying to return the favor."_

" _So I've heard. So much so that you nearly sold your soul to my sister so that you might save her from an arranged marriage." Sirzechs surmised further, holding his chin in thought as he eyed Josuke. "That was a rather bold move by you."_

" _I-it seemed like the only thing left that I could do to help…" Josuke admitted, his eyes falling to the dirt ground below his feet, scratching the back of his head._

" _Some would call that romantic of a man to so valiantly stand up for a maiden in trouble." Josuke found himself blinking at his response, eyes wide as he shifted his gaze back to Sirzechs in shock. "Is that not what you were going for?"_

" _Wh-what?! N-no! That's not what I was going for at all!" Josuke dismissed, waving his arms frantically. "It was nothing like that, I swear! I was just trying to help out a friend! I don't view your sister like that!" Josuke half expected the Maou to laugh at him or even something remotely protective as he would see a big brother acting. Instead, Sirzechs only raised a brow, seeming a bit disappointed._

" _Is that so? I figured that your outburst was your way of showing your feelings for Rias." Sirzechs declared, glancing to the side at Grayfia. "Even my wife believed that to be your intent."_

" _S-seriously?!" Josuke gawked, turning to the silver haired Devil._

" _Your words when speaking against Riser and your intent to become one of her servants mislead me, I suppose." Grayfia explained simply, bowing to Josuke now. "I apologize for making the assumption about your motives."_

 _Josuke opened his mouth to speak before giving thought to the moment over a week before this event. Thinking about it, his words did sound a bit romantic, even if it wasn't for that purpose. "W-well… I guess I didn't really think of it that way at the time, but I can see it now that you mention it…"_

" _Regardless, I can see that you mean well. You truly care for my sister as a friend." Sirzechs chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "A bit of a surprise considering the allure she carries. Most men would wish to be with someone of her beauty."_

" _I-I guess I'm just happy to be her friend and nothing more than that…" Josuke timidly suggested before a small smile found its way onto his lips. "Besides… I think my friend Issei is more interested in her that way."_

 _Sirzechs hummed in response, tapping his chin lightly before nodding. "I see. It certainly speaks volumes of a man whose motivations were not driven by romantic feelings." He stood up, the Knight piece still in his palm as he held it out. "It shows you are quite loyal, even without wanting something from her in return. I know few who carry such devotion to their friends. So to reward your loyalty, I shall give you this."_

 _Josuke stood from his seat and reached out, taking the chess piece in his hand. "An Evil Piece?" He asked, knowing what they looked like from watching Rias use them._

" _In a manner of speaking. But this is what is called a Temporary Piece." Sirzechs explained. "Give this to Rias to fill with her power, and it shall temporarily become part of you. It is an old item that very few use today due to our absence in society of the human world."_

 _Josuke's eyes widened in realization, the item in his hand now making it possible for him to fight. "B-but I thought that I'd have to be Rias' servant to join?"_

" _This piece allows that for the game. It will not turn you into a Devil, either. In old times, it was used to test whether a human who wished to join a peerage was strong enough or not. Long before the church started to become more active in pushing us out of other lands." Sirzechs went further into detail, crossing his arms behind his back. "But it does come with it's flaws. While you shall remain human, it also means you will not gain the extended abilities that Devils possess, such as greater strength, durability, and speed. Though the piece you receive, whether it is knight or rook, will give you a boost in that area, but not to the extent you might hope."_

" _So I'll remain human?" Josuke repeated, holding the piece in front of his face. He suddenly grinned and looked back to the Maou. "I'll take it!"_

" _Good to hear. If you don't mind, then, please come with us. I have to confirm whether your potential will be compatible with Rias' own strength. " Sirzechs declared, walking back with Grayfia and motioning Josuke to follow. "I'd like to run some tests with the piece to insure that it will work on you."_

" _Ah, okay then." Josuke nodded, following behind them. Grayfia waved her hand, a mark soon after appearing on the back of his hand. "Shouldn't I go and tell everyone first, though?"_

" _Why would we do that? It'll add more dramatic effect if you appear at the last second." Sirzechs pointed out with a hint of humor in his voice._

" _I-if you say so…" Josuke chuckled sheepishly, a small sweat drop on the back of his head. "But I do have a question for you. Didn't you want Rias to get married to that jerk, too?"_

 _Sirzechs halted their teleportation for a moment before giving a small smile. "I see the necessity in it, but I'd like to give my sister a chance. Many would say that he was made to become her fiance because she would have no way of winning against him. Perhaps it is true." Sirzechs reasoned but shook his head. "But perhaps it was fate that you were also introduced to my sister. To give her another way out." He then held out his hand to shake. "After all, your family is considered to be heavily linked with fate. Besides that, I do love my sister."_

 _Josuke raised a brow at that before grinning kindly back, taking the Maou's hand in a shake. "You know, you're a really_ _ **great**_ _big brother."_

* * *

"Your brother is pretty cool, after all." Josuke chuckled, having explained his disappearance to the rest of the club. Of course he left out the part about his supposed romantic statement, thinking it a bit awkward, but otherwise told most of what happened. "I was taken to some kind of research facility where they used a temporary piece on me for a day. They said they had to make some modifications to the piece for some reason, but they didn't tell me why." He then pulled out a clear knight piece from his pocket, flipping it toward Rias who caught it easily. She blinked as she looked down at the chess piece, feeling happy and relieved all at once. "But this one should work fine. Why didn't you tell me about this? I wouldn't have had a problem with using it at all!"

"It's fairly uncommon to be used as of late." Grayfia explained for Rias. "Milady Rias most likely was unaware that such an option existed. It is not against the rules, though, and is fully permitted."

"S-so that means you're going to…" Rias muttered, walking forward to meet the young JoJo.

"I'm in this game. I'm here to fight for you." Josuke proudly declared, holding up the knight piece in his hand and giving it to Rias. "Let's get out there and win this thing."

Rias slowly took the piece from Josuke, holding it in front of her before smiling up at him. Rias quickly embraced Josuke, tightly wrapping her arms around his waist. "I'm happy to have your help."

The tall teen tensed a bit but smiled down at the crimson haired Devil, patting her back. He glanced up at the others to see Issei slightly glaring in irritation, causing Josuke to sweat drop and gently grab Rias' shoulders. "I-it's not a big deal. Thank me once we win this thing."

"Oi, wait a sec!" Okuyasu spoke up with a dumb grin, drawing everyone's attention to him now. "If you have another one of those, you should let me get one! I'll help you kick some ass too!"

"I'm afraid that only one temporary piece is allowed per team. You cannot join if Josuke-sama is allowed to join." Grayfia interjected, causing the punk to deflate a bit. Kiba stood up and placed a hand on Okuyasu's shoulder to comfort him.

"Don't worry. We'll be fine with Josuke-kun's aide. Just keep supporting us from here." Kiba suggested with a kind smile.

"Things should be even more interesting with you here, as well." Akeno giggled happily. Rias separated from Josuke before holding up her fist. The tall teen smiled and bumped it with his own and nodded.

"Do not forget, Josuke-kun." Grayfia spoke again, causing the young JoJo to glance back at her. "You still must get his permission."

"What do you mean?" Asia spoke up, walking forward with a questioning look.

"That's right. We still need to tell that asshole Riser." Josuke informed them, his brow furrowing seriously. "He's getting his own favor since I've been given permission to participate. But if he doesn't accept, I can't join."

"Wh-what?!" Issei choked out, a bit afraid of his chances now. "Then how do we know he'll accept?"

"We're just going to have to see what he says." Josuke suggested, turning around to look at Grayfia. "Is he on his way?"

"I have informed him of the situation. He's arriving shortly." Grayfia explained, and no more than a few seconds later, a puff flame appeared at the opposite end of the room. Rias and her peerage glared as Riser took form, a rather irritated look on his features.

"So I'm told that I am to consider a proposal?" Riser asked, crossing his arms as he stepped forward.

"That is correct. In exchange for allowing Josuke-sama to take part in the Rating Game using a Temporary Piece, you will be given one request or condition of your own if you so wish it, Riser-sama." Grayfia explained stoically, turning to the Phenex heir. "But your permission is needed for this to be allowed."

Riser narrowed his eyes and glanced at Josuke, who met him with a hardened gaze. The older Devil smirked and released a smug chuckle, tilting his chin up. "I see no reason why I should have to accept such a condition. Why should this human be allowed in?"

Josuke took a step past the others and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Rias is already at a disadvantage with how many more pieces you have than her. What's one more going to do?" he suggested, holding up a finger. "Unless you're saying that you are afraid of one weak human joining her team. Is that it?" He goaded further with a smirk. Riser narrowed his eyes at that, taking a step forward to meet the tall teen. Grayfia stepped in between them, giving the obvious message that she would not allow a fight to ensue. Riser glanced at the Strongest Queen for a moment before chuckling.

"Alright. I'll indulge your provocation." Riser declared, crossing his arms over his chest. "After all, you're right. What is one more ant to burn in my flames?"

Josuke grinned at that, turning back to Rias and the others. "Sounds great, then. I'll see you out in the Game." He said, walking back to join the others.

"Hold a moment. I am given a request of my own, am I correct?" Riser suddenly stopped him, causing the Stand user to turn back with a raised brow. "I haven't given my terms yet."

"Fine. What do you want in return?" Rias inquired this time, walking up next to Josuke with a hand on her hip.

"You see, a dumb 'accident' occurred during the ten day break period before all of this to my rook, Xuelan." Riser explained, though the way he said accident had sounded rather fabricated. "So my sister had the idea of going out and seeking a replacement."

"A replacement?" Issei repeated with a raised brow. "Can you do that with your peerage for the Rating Game?"

"But of course! It's the same way that you've added the human to your peerage." Riser countered easily, pulling a transparent rook piece from his pocket. "After all, I had my own Temporary Piece to use."

"Wait, what?!" Josuke blurted before narrowing his eyes in suspicion. "How the hell'd you know about Temporary Pieces?"

"It's no secret that they existed, just far less known of late." Riser shrugged with a chuckle. "Besides, my father had given a Temporary Piece to me when I first started participating in Rating Games. I wasn't sure I'd ever get the chance to use it. Even for this game, I didn't really see the point in using it, but Ravel seemed to insist that you Stand users are… complicated to deal with." He scoffed, unbelieving of the idea himself. "Perhaps it would be fun if I did use my own. So I have."

"It's true. Temporary Piece's can also be used to substitute for a servant should the opposing team allow it." Grayfia confirmed for Rias and the others.

"This is such a load of crap!" Issei barked, gripping his hand in annoyance. "There's no way that you-" Josuke held up a hand to silence him, shaking his head.

"Forget it, Issei. We got what we wanted from this deal, anyway. Let him add another piece if he wants." Josuke reasoned, though he turned a glare toward the Phenex. "Even if it is shady, at least I'm participating."

"He's right. I have no problem with a replacement if that's what he wants." Rias confirmed with a nod. "Whoever it is, I doubt they will make much difference. We will win no matter who he throws at us."

"Then it's settled! We both now have our Temporary Pieces in play, my love. I shall look forward to crushing you and your pet human." Riser cackled, turning his back to them and walking back to where he arrived from.

"Aren't you going to introduce your replacement to us?" Rias inquired before he departed, narrowing her eyes at the Phenex.

"And spoil the surprise? Why would I do that?" Riser reasoned, shrugging laxly with a chuckle. "I'm sure that you'll see for yourself once the time comes. Ta-ta~!" with that, he disappeared into a ball of flame, leaving the room in a flashy exit.

"What a tool…" Josuke huffed before turning and grinning at the others. "But either way, it's settled. I'm part of this game now, too."

"It looks like it." Rias smiled again, turning to the Stand user. "Just don't complain if you get hurt, okay?"

"Ara ara, it's quite exciting to have you join us in this fight!" Akeno giggled as the others walked up to join them. "I feel our chances have risen."

"You really came through." Koneko stated simply, giving a small smile of her own.

"It seems fate really is on our side." Kiba chuckled, patting him on the shoulder. Asia suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist, squeezing him tight.

"I was so afraid you wouldn't show, Josuke-nii. I'm happy you're here." Asia giggled, smiling up at the Stand user.

"Come on, now. You're all making me blush here." Josuke chuckled bashfully, rubbing the back of his head. He suddenly felt a quick punch in his gut, cringing a bit and opening his eyes to see Issei glaring at him with puffed up cheeks.

"What'd I say about stealing all the girls attention?" Issei hissed before giving a small smile and raising his hand for a fist bump. "I'm glad you're joining us. No one can beat the Issei/Josuke combo, right?"

Josuke raised a brow before grinning back and meeting Issei's fist with his own. "Damn straight."

"I'd hate to intrude on your moment together, so I think we'll be taking our leave." Sona suddenly announced, making the others realize she was still around with her servant Tsubaki. "Okuyasu-san. Since you're not going to participate, it would be best if you joined us. We'll be in charge of monitoring and broadcasting the game from the Student Council office."

"A-ah, sure." Okuyasu nodded, turning to follow the bespectacled Devil out before turning to the others and grinning. "Give 'em hell out there, guys! I'll be rootin' for ya!"

"Same as I. I wish you fortune in this game." Sona declared as well, offering a small smirk. "But I don't expect Riser to have much of a chance." Rias smiled back, nodding to her old friend as she departed. "Since we have some time, Okuyasu-san, we can speak further about your Stand and your position as a human."

"E-eh?! B-but I don't really know much else to say about it…" Okuyasu muttered dumbly, scratching the back of his head awkwardly as the three walked out of the room.

"With the matter settled, it is time for you all to depart." Grayfia announced, a large magic circle appearing before them. "You will take this to the battlefield of the Rating Game."

"Where are we going to do this that'll be inconspicuous?" Josuke asked curiously, Akeno turning to him first.

"Rating Games take place in an alternate space, one where no one else would be disturbed or threatened. It is also easily disposed of once the game is done." Akeno explained for him, though it somewhat confused the Stand user further. Before he had a chance to question her, Grayfia raised a hand.

"All of you may depart now. The game will soon start." She told the teens, Rias nodding in agreement.

"Come on, everyone. It's time to get this started."

"Yes, president." Her peerage answered, walking forward with her and standing in the magic circle. Josuke quickly joined them, a mark appearing on his hand again via Grayfia. One by one, starting with Rias, each member of the Occult Research club dissipated from existence. Issei snapped his eyes shut, still a bit nervous about his own teleporting ability. Despite this, he was gone moments later with Josuke following last. When the brunette opened his eyes, he blinked as he looked around. From what he could see, they were still in the club room.

"D-did the teleport fail?" Issei muttered, looking around to see that Josuke seemed just as confused as he was.

"Nothing changed…" Asia muttered as she did the same as Issei and Josuke. The others, however, acted as if it were perfectly normal.

" _Everyone. This is Grayfia, servant of the Gremory family, speaking."_ They suddenly heard above them, the silver haired Devil's voice ringing throughout the building as if it were over an intercom. " _I have been appointed as judge between the Gremory and Phenex families Rating Game. Taking both Riser-sama's and Rias-sama's opinions into consideration, the field has been modeled after Kuoh Academy. An institution attended by Rias-sama."_

"Modeled?" Issei repeated in confusion, Rias turning to look back at him now and nodding.

"Take a look outside." Rias told him. The brunette, Asia, and Josuke did as she said and peeked out the window. While the ground and trees seemed normal, the sky was a strange green and it looked as if the northern lights waved through the air.

"We're in some kinda parallel dimension…" Issei muttered with a gulp. "Just how strong are Devils?"

"This is some trippy scenery, that's for sure…" Josuke muttered before looking back at Rias. "So what now?"

Rias held up a finger, telling him to wait. Not long after, Grayfia began to speak again, _"Both parties have been teleported to their main base. Rias-sama's base will be the Occult Research Club room in the old school building. Riser-sama's base will be the principal's office in the main school building. Thus, Pawns will gain promotion once they have entered enemy territory of each school building."_

"Alright!" Issei grinned, pounding his fist into his palm. "All I have to do is get to the school building and promote! Then I'll get my piece boost to a queen!"

"Ara ara, it won't be **that** easy." Akeno giggled, shaking her head and making Issei blink.

"Remember that it goes both ways, so Riser's pawns will be trying to seek out our base as well." Kiba reasoned, holding up a finger. "They also still have the numbers advantage over us, and will most likely play both offense and defense with their pieces."

"O-oh, right. Of course…" Issei coughed with a bit of embarrassment, nodding in understanding. Koneko silently moved from one person to another, handing each of them a small pink ball. "What is this?"

"For communication." Koneko answered shortly, the brunette raising a brow as he took it.

"It'll be how we communicate on the field." Rias explained as the small orb floated up to her ear and placed itself inside.

"This should be good for strategy then." Josuke hummed as he took one and placed it in his own ear, the light from the orb fading once in place. A moment later, Grayfia gave one final announcement.

" _The game begins now!"_

* * *

Riser sat with his legs up on the replica desk of the principal's office, currently groping two of his pawns who were dressed as maids, before looking back at the rest of his peerage. "Some of you may outmatch Rias' pieces, but pay no heed to it. Do not hold anything back when you encounter them." He declared with a wicked grin, gripping his hands tighter around his pawns breasts and causing them to moan. "The only reason we're indulging this silly game is to completely crush Rias' hopes and pride. Give her everything she deserves."

"Yes, milord." Riser's peerage sounded out, all departing from the room as he released his pawns from his grip so they could leave. The petite blonde with the twin drill tails remained, glancing up at her master.

"Thank you for taking my advice, big brother." The girl said with a smile. The Phenex heir gave a rare, kind smile that was unlike the one he gave his other servants.

"I didn't really see the point in doing it, but I suppose you've yet to lead me wrong with your strategies, little sister." Riser chuckled, shrugging in response. "Though I suppose it was also thanks to father that we found out about the Temporary Piece loophole."

"It's a good thing you kept it instead of just tossing it out. There was also the possibility that the boy would actually become part of her peerage as well." Ravel reasoned, crossing her arms. "At least our efforts in seeking out the Stand user didn't go to waste. Had Josuke officially become one of her servants, it would have been difficult to negotiate her in."

"Not that it would have mattered. I still believe that we will not need her to crush just one human." Riser scoffed, leaning further back in his chair.

"I know you don't believe humans can be very strong, but Stand users are different." Ravel reminded him, shaking her head. "They have uncanny powers, things that go outside of the norm of Devils and Angels. It's just better to play it safe than sorry is all I'm saying."

"Alright, alright. You've made your point and I've listened." Riser chuckled and nodded. "Go and tell the girl to take position. If she can crush that Stand user, it would be highly enjoyable to hear that he could not even reach me."

"As you wish, big brother." The petite blonde bowed with a smirk, twirling around and heading out the door. Out in the hall, a single girl stood. She wore Kuoh academy's standard uniform with a few added rose patterns on her collar, shoulders and skirt. Her hair was dark black, wavy, and went down to her waist. She only glanced at the Phenex daughter blankly, saying nothing. "You are to remain in this building and wait, understood? Your only order is to fight the boy Josuke Higashikata. Like you, he is a Stand user. Which means your powers will be most effective in attacking his Stand directly."

"As you wish." The girl answered simply with a nod, turning away and leaving her behind. "Just remember that you must fulfill my wish for this service once it is over."

"Of course. If you accomplish your job, all will be rewarded." The petite blonde giggled with a nod before spreading her Devil wings. "Now it is time for my part."

* * *

"And so it begins." Sona hummed as she moved around each ethereal view of the school. Okuyasu watched in awe as she operated the screens like a professional television director along with her servant Tsubaki. The upcoming match filled his stomach with butterflies, the Stand user tapping his foot nervously as they waited for the action to start.

"I know I shouldn't be nervous, but just watchin' this is way more unnervin' than bein' there to fight." Okuyasu admitted aloud, causing Sona to pause in her actions to glance at him.

"I may seem calm, but I also feel the same." Sona declared, narrowing her eyes at the screens. "While I believe overall that Rias and her peerage are superior to Riser's, it is Riser himself that poses the greatest threat." As she began to move screens around once again, her hand stopped when her eyes fell upon the main school buildings front area, a lone figure sitting on a chair at the center. "Who is that?" She muttered with a raised brow. Okuyasu leaned in and blinked, tilting his head in question.

"Hey, isn't that our schools uniform?" He muttered curiously, earning a nod from Sona. Before the two could inquire further upon the girl's identity, a knock could be heard from the door of the room.  
"Someone else is here?"

"It seems he has arrived." Sona said before standing up. "Please take over for a moment, Tsubaki."

"Understood." Her queen answered, taking control of the screens. The student council president took a deep breath before walking over to the door and opening it up, revealing Jotaro Kujo on the other side.

"Jotaro-san?!" Okuyasu blurted in shock, not expecting to see the veteran Stand user join them this night.

"Thank you for coming, Jotaro-san. I'm sure that Rias and Josuke-kun would appreciate your support for being here."

"This situation affects our alliance, as well. I would like to see the results for myself." Jotaro stated with a nod, knowing that if Rias were to be married at this time she would most likely be withdrawn from the school and leave Kuoh completely. "Besides, the leads on Red Hot Chili Pepper and his master are currently cold. There's no reason I couldn't come to at least watch." He explained as he walked over to the table to join Okuyasu and take a seat. "Also, admittedly, I'd like to see them succeed."

"That is our hope as well." Sona agreed with a small smile before sitting down at the head of the table, taking control back from Tsubaki over the screens. "From here, we will be able to view the entire battle."

Jotaro hummed in answer at first, glancing around at each visual curiously. "Who can see all of this?"

"It is being broadcasted to both participating families as well as the Maou, Sirzechs Lucifer, Rias' older brother." Sona explained for him as she moved another image around to bring up Rias and her team, who were currently looking over a map of the school grounds. Jotaro raised a brow as he noticed Josuke, who was listening intently at the side, glancing over at Sona.

"So he decided to become her servant in the end?"

"No. As fate would have it, he was given a Temporary Piece that allowed him to participate." Sona explained as she glanced at him from the side. "I had completely forgotten about the concept, but it allows humans to become a member of a peerage for a short time. His will most likely fade once the day is over, depending on his potential."

"Potential?" Jotaro repeated curiously.

"That's right. Temporary Pieces are made so that the potential of the servant is at least within the boundaries of the master. If it's more than she can put forth, then the piece may end up hurting the holder and may not last as long as a day." Sona went into further detail. "We will see how Josuke's body fairs."

"I see." Jotaro nodded before taking another look up at the screens before narrowing his eyes. "Is it possible for this broadcast to be watched by outside sources?"

Sona paused for a moment and raised a brow at Jotaro. "It's not impossible. The broadcast may be shown specifically to the family houses, but they are not intended to be secure."

Jotaro released a sigh with that, glancing down at the table. "Yare yare daze. This game may work against us more than we know."

* * *

Somewhere in the city of Kuoh, there is a place hidden from both sight and sense of Devils and all others. It was an underground bunker that once belonged to a wealthy family who was prepared for a bombing on Japan, but was now occupied by more heinous creatures. Among them was Myrcella Lucifuge, the Stand user collecting Devil. But at the moment that quest was not her most prominent concern. Now, it was to witness the Rating Game between the Gremory and Phenex heirs.

"Were you able to connect to the broadcast, Malia?" Myrcella inquired, walking into the dark room. Several others sat in the room, one with his legs pulled close with a hood over his head and the other with his legs up and an electric guitar in his hands, strumming the chords as he waited patiently. Both were covered in darkness, their features obscure to the eye.

"I have completed the connection." A dark skinned, green haired girl spoke. She was about the same height as Gracia, a bit slimmer and slightly flat, but her assets were still apparent. She wore bandages over her breasts wrapped around the back with a stretched out olive green tank top, a pair of camo design cargo pants, and black combat boots, her hair up in a tall mohawk. Her hands were also bandaged up to her forearms. "We've got a full view of the game."

"Good job, my rook. You may relax now." Myrcella smiled, patting the dark skinned Devil on the shoulder and smiling. Malia nodded with a small grin, taking a seat next to the hooded teen. The boy next to her was currently gazing at a small tin bird with red eyes that sat on his index finger, its movements a bit mechanical and stiff.

"I don't see the point in watching this…" The rather depressed voice of the hooded teen groaned, never taking his eyes off of his supposed pet. "Will it make much difference to? We pretty much know all their powers…"

"Don't go sayin' that, Saizo! It's always wise to watch what your enemies are capable of!" The guitarist advised, strumming his instrument again as he spoke. "Especially if the plan is to fight them eventually. We keep growing, the stronger we'll get." he suggested, tapping the side of his head. "Especially mentally. Knowledge like this will help us grow."

"He is correct, my bishop. Try and allow yourself to learn from this Game. Knowledge will be power once we encounter the Gremory daughter." Myrcella advised, causing the boy called Saizo to grumble but nod in acceptance.

"It's a bit funny that we want the Gremory team to win." Malia chuckled, her voice a bit rough, crossing her arms over her chest. "Since we're planning to kill them and all."

"It can't really be helped. We need more time to work on our power to fight them, but it will be pointless if they are to depart from the human world now. I'll have to make a change to my plans." Myrcella only shrugged with a small smirk. "That being the case, it's best to hope that Rias Gremory isn't too pathetic to win. Otherwise I will have wished we attacked sooner."

"So where's little Elmy-chan? I figured she would want to watch on the off chance that Okuyasu Nijimura became one of Gremory's servants." The guitarist cackled curiously, peering at his master.

"I could tell she wanted to, but she was called back to the Youkai realm on business." Myrcella explained, holding a phone in her hand. "Elmy-chan has to make good excuses for her absence from the realm. Thankfully her queen has allowed her to do as she pleases without much monitoring. Elmy-chan just wished for me to inform her whether or not Okuyasu had been turned into a Devil or not. Oops, I was not supposed to tell anyone~!" Myrcella giggled, Malia and the guitarist both laughing in response. The young Lucifuge daughter gave a dark smile as she turned her attention back to the display. "Now, let's see what our enemies have in store for us."

* * *

"Through the schoolyard would be the fastest route to the main building, but it's in plain sight." Rias sighed as they scanned the map of the school, looking for a strong strategic position they could use to their advantage.

"Then maybe we could go around back through the track field?" Issei suggested this time, but his master shook her head.

"They will be expecting that. I'm betting they will put their rooks and knights somewhere around the clubhouse to keep it defended."

"Its an old but useful tactic." Akeno nodded in agreement.

"President. I think we should seize control of the gymnasium first." Kiba suggested, pointing out the center building to the teens. "It's close to the clubhouse and would keep enemy pieces in check."

Rias held her chin in thought for a moment before nodding. "It is at the center of the battleground and would give us control of the surrounding area. It's decided then. The gymnasium is a close quarters area, so it would be more suited for Koneko as a rook than for you as a knight, Yuuto."

"Understood." Her knight and rook answered with a nod.

"Fighting is quite difficult…" Asia muttered quietly to the side, unable to keep up with the tactical talk.

"Well, we just need to follow the president's orders and everything will be fine, right?" Issei suggested with a reassuring smile, which seemed to relax the blonde somewhat.

"Right."

"Don't get too comfortable." Josuke suddenly spoke, the others turning to him now. "Every plan sounds great until you have to put it into action. Anything could happen out there and mess something up." He then turned to Asia and Issei with a somber gaze. "As Jotaro-san told me before all of this, the best thing to do, aside from following the plan, is keeping a cool head. Mistakes are made if you can't stay composed."

"Jotaro-san would know what he's talking about. So do well to remember his words." Rias agreed, gazing around at her peerage. "Now we must secure our defensive lines. Yuuto, Koneko. Go and set up the traps in the forest."

Both nodded again in understanding, Koneko holding up her hands and making a small blue circle appear. A moment later, her familiar appeared and floated on top of her head. "We'll be going, then." Kiba bid farewell before he departed with the petite white haired Devil.

"Akeno, I'm going to need your illusionary magic in the forest and the sky above it once the traps have been set." Rias instructed her queen this time.

"As you wish." Akeno agreed before taking her leave as well. All that remained were Issei, Asia, and Josuke now.

"Um, president, what do you want us to do?" Issei inquired shyly, feeling odd to be the last one among the peerage with a task.

"You'll be running support and recovery, Asia, so you'll be on standby here." Rias first regarded the blonde. "It would be pointless to send you out only to get hurt."

"O-okay." Asia nodded hesitantly, no nervousness hidden in her tone.

"Josuke, your healing ability will be incredibly useful out in the field as well as your strength." Rias pointed out this time to the tall teen as she looked at him. "You can play the role of field medic to our attacking force as well as our calvary."

"No problem." Josuke nodded, leaning against the wall by the window with his arms crossed. "I'm guessing we're waiting until the others are done before we make a move?"

"That's correct." Rias nodded as she walked over to the couch. "And Issei…"

"Y-yes?" He nervously answered, preparing for whatever job she had in mind. In spite of that, the crimson haired Devil only took a seat on the couch and patted her lap.

"Come and lie down right here." Understandably, the three remaining people in the room blinked in confusion at her request.

"C-could this be… the legendary lap pillow?!" Issei gasped, hesitant to simply walk over and do as he was told.

"Hurry up." Rias ordered him now, pulling the brunette out of his fear.

"Y-yes! Please take care of me!" Issei quickly bowed in appreciation before quickly heading over. Asia looked quite jealous, trying to contain it by putting a hand over her mouth.

"You seriously going to coddle him right now of all times?" Josuke sighed with a sweatdrop before turning to the window and peering out at the fake school grounds. Rias gave no answer, only smiling as Issei gently set his head down in her lap, barely containing his excitement as he did so. Immediately the sensation seemed to resonate through his body, the universe all at once seeming still to the brunette.

"I-it's so soft and tender… this feeling is beautiful…" Issei muttered to himself, unable to hold back tears from streaming down his cheeks.

"Come on, now. There's no reason to cry." Rias giggled, rubbing the top of his head.

"You really need to get your priorities in order…" Josuke rolled his eyes as he tried to be decent enough to keep his eyes off the two, even if they weren't doing anything bad. Asia sat across from the two, her cheeks puffed out as she quietly fumed in jealousy of the situation.

"Come now, stop sniveling. I can be a lap pillow for you again if you'd like." Rias shook her head with a gentle smile. "But what I truly mean to do is lift the spell from you, just a bit."

"Lift the spell from me?" Issei blinked in confusion. Not a moment after, Rias gently touched his forehead again, a pulse ringing through his body this time and almost as if newfound energy began to fill him. _Wh-what's going on? I feel a lot stronger all of a sudden…_

"Remember how I told you it took eight of my pawns to resurrect you?" Rias reminded her servant.

"Y-yeah…"

"Back then, it really made no sense to me. Thinking about it now, it seems really simple." Josuke hummed as he walked to the opposite couch to watch them, unsure what Rias was doing at this point.

"Well, when you absorbed all those pieces, it was too much for your body. So I put multiple layers of spells on you to keep the energy from tearing you apart. What I just released was one of those layers. You broke through one on your own during the fight with the Fallen Angels as well." Rias explained for her servant, the brunette widening his eyes as his thoughts went back to his fight with Freed.

"The dragon explosion thing… I remember…" Issei muttered as he sat up from her lap.

"It's your natural inherent power." Rias further informed him. "To fully wield it, you need both your **Boosted Gear** and a stronger body. You're not quite there yet, but you're getting there." She smiled encouragingly.

"So that's why you were pushing me so hard with all that training…" Issei finally understood, leaning back down in her lap. _Now I feel bad for thinking you were just being a monster. I'm sorry, president!_

"I had no idea that's what you were doing!" Asia gasped, turning away and looking up with her hands together. "Dear lord, please forgive me for my jealousy a minute ago-ow!" She whined once her prayer caused a painful headache.

"Oi oi, what'd we say about that?" Josuke sighed, rubbing the top of Asia's head.

"Defeat the opponents you encounter, Issei. Even if it's a girl." Rias told her pawn, ignoring the other two as she remained focused on the brunette.

"Of course! I'll do you proud and lead us to victory!" Issei shouted with determination. Rias could only giggle, stroking his hair gently back to look at his face.

"I'm expecting much from you, my adorable Issei. Don't let me down now." She then looked up at Josuke with the same kind smile. "I'm sure with Josuke around, you'll both be unstoppable."

"Count on it." Josuke grinned back, giving a thumbs up.

" _President, can you hear me?"_ Akeno's voice spoke over the comm. Link in their ears.

"I can, go ahead."

" _I've finished setting up all of my illusions. We're ready."_ Akeno explained, causing her king to nod in acceptance. Without warning, she stood up and knocked Issei off of her lap, who fell to the ground with a thud.

"Alright then, everyone. Here is the game plan."

* * *

"It looks like Rias has begun to move." Tsubaki announced to the others, watching the screens passively.

"Since she lacks the manpower, it is impossible to perfectly defend the base she's residing in." Sona observed, holding her chin in thought. "Her best course of action will most likely be a quick attack."

"Is she strong enough to fight this Riser on her own?" Jotaro questioned, glancing at Sona curiously. The bespectacled teen could only hum before shaking her head.

"Most unlikely. As much as I believe in Rias and her team, it is not an effort I believe she can accomplish on her own." Sona analyzed, watching as Josuke, Issei, and Koneko met at the front of the main building. "It's likely she will have to meet him head on either way, though. She alone, as well as possibly her queen Akeno, can keep him at bay until the rest of her pieces arrive."

"That's only assuming they will all be left by that time." Jotaro suspected this time, returning his gaze to the screen. "Let's hope that all the agonizing Josuke did over this game wasn't for nothing."

* * *

" _Listen, you three. Once you enter the gymnasium, a fight will be unavoidable. Make sure to follow my orders while you're out there."_ Rias advised Josuke, Issei, and Koneko as they headed to the closest building to the old schoolhouse.

"Roger." The three answered as they approached, stopping just outside the front entrance as they awaited confirmation to move in.

" _Yuuto, stand by ready for your instructions. Akeno, wait for the right moment to strike once the gymnasium has been claimed."_ Rias instructed the remaining pieces of her peerage before taking a deep breath. _"Alright, everyone! Commence operation! Our opponent is Riser Phenex, considered a promising talent even among the family of Phenex! Now, let's kick his ass!"_

"Great speech, prez." Josuke chuckled as he nodded to the others in confirmation, the three now entering the gym to begin their attack. The three moved quietly through the building, walking behind the curtains of the front stage. Josuke and Issei peered around, feeling almost a bit too familiar with the terrain considering that it was exactly like the one they knew.

"I can't believe how identical it is…" Issei muttered, eyes darting around.

"Enemies." Koneko quietly informed them, narrowing her eyes as the lights on the ceiling of the gym flickered to life.

"Come out, Gremory servants. We know you're out there!" A feminine voice called out, causing Issei to sigh.

"No use in hiding, huh?"

"Didn't see why we were, anyway. I doubt we'd get the drop on someone in this hall." Josuke shrugged as the three began to move out from behind the curtain. They were greeted by four girls from Riser's peerage. The first was familiar, being the blue haired girl, Mira, that Issei and Josuke took on in their first meeting with the Phenex heir. Leading them was a slightly taller woman with short brown hair and wearing a mask on the right side of her face. Her attire consisted of ripped black jeans and a slightly revealing tight black jacket. Behind her were a set of twins in identical school gym clothes, both with green hair and large bags strapped to their back.

"It seems we have come upon the rook, the pawn, and the human." The masked woman hummed, her one good eye gazing around at the three. "Though if I remember right, you were taken out rather easily by Mira last we met."

"I-it is her." Issei widened his eyes as the blue haired girl smiled proudly at them, first to introduce herself.

"I'm Mira, a pawn in Riser's peerage." She announced.

"I am Isabella, a rook in the service of Riser Phenex." The leader proclaimed this time.

"I'm Ile! A pawn!" One twin announced. "I'm Nel, also a pawn!" The other followed, both saluting cutely at the three.

"Their rook is quite powerful." Koneko quietly hummed, narrowing her eyes at Isabella. "Her combat ability alone makes her level with a queen."

"S-seriously? On the level of someone like Akeno-sempai?!" Issei gawked as he looked down at the petite girl. He then shook his head and smiled, holding up his arm and gripping his fist. Shortly after, his crimson bracer took shape. "Well, it's not like we didn't know we'd be at a disadvantage." **Boost!** His armored arm glowed with life, energy radiating from it.

"Now that's the spirit. Let's take these four out quick so we can get going." Josuke grinned, cracking his knuckles in front of him before hopping down from the stage, soon followed by the other two.

"I'll take out the rook. You two handle the pawns." Koneko instructed them, fitting on boxing gloves with pink paw prints on the top. "You're outnumbered, so be careful."

"Don't worry about us. The Josuke/Issei duo can't lose!" Issei grinned and the two immediately fist bumped as they walked forward to meet their opponents.

"I'm quite interested to see what the human is capable of after how he stopped you, Mira. But I'll take the rook out, first." Isabella told the pawns before walking forward to meet Koneko first.

"I do wish to take my revenge for that slight." Mira spoke, pointing her staff at Josuke. "You caught me off guard once. I won't let it happen again."

Josuke opened his mouth to retort, only for Issei to step toward the bluenette first. "Sorry, but I call dibs on you first. Whatever Josuke might have done to you last time wasn't nearly as embarrassing as what you did to me. So it's time for some payback." He declared, gripping his armored hand. Josuke could only raise a brow before chuckling and nodding.

"Alright then, she's all yours. Guess that leaves me with…" Josuke glanced up at the rather petite green haired girls who stared at him innocently. "The twins…"

"While I do want to fight this chick, I'm kind of jealous. You get the twins all to yourself." Issei chuckled as he glanced at the two from the side. His smile quickly faded when the bags they towed dropped, revealing two large chainsaws that glowed with demonic energy. Josuke and Issei gawked in shock as they raised the large machinery over their heads and started them up.

"We'll rip it apart! We'll rip you apart!" They giggled rather cheerfully, disturbingly so.

"So… still jealous?" Josuke muttered, his eye twitching nervously.

"... No… well, kinda still…"

"Enough talk!" Isabella roared as she launched herself forward and threw a straight punch at Koneko's face. The petite girl narrowly dodged to the side, Isabella's punch leaving a crater in the stage before spinning on her heel to meet Koneko for another attack. The white haired Devil began a series of body shots on Isabella, knocking the wind out of her for a moment.

"Right into it, huh?" Issei muttered as Mira charged him. She launched a straight hit with her staff, only for Issei to dodge by jumping over her head. "Not this time!" He cheered as he rolled once reaching the ground, quickly regaining his stance and preparing his Sacred Gear for an attack. "You're not going to be handling me so easily again!" He sneered pridefully.

"We'll see about that!" Mira growled, charging once again with her staff overhead and twirling it to attempt another strike.

"Guess there's no avoiding it, now." Josuke hummed before stuffing his left hand in his pocket and pointing the other at the twins, **Crazy Diamond** appearing behind him. "Come at me."

"Just because you got the drop on Mira, don't think you'll get us so easily!" One of the twins, Josuke couldn't remember which, proudly growled before they both revved up their chainsaws and charged.

"I guess we'll see about-"

 ***Pound***

Josuke's chest suddenly filled with pain, causing him to stiffen and grip at it in confusion. "What the hell…?"

 ***Pound***

Josuke fell to one knee as the pain surged through his body again, his breath coming out in heaves."I-it's happening… shit… I thought they modified the piece, though?" he gasped for air, glancing up with sweat dripping down his brow at the still rushing twins. "Shit..."

* * *

"What's happening to him?!" Jotaro widened his eyes, quickly realizing the pain that Josuke was in was no joke.

"It's the Temporary Piece. It's not holding!" Sona cursed, biting her thumb. "His potential is too high for a knight piece. He most likely needed several pawn pieces to sustain it. Combine that with the fact that he's still human, meaning less tolerance for Rias' demonic energy, and you have much more pain than a Devil would normally feel."

"I-is there any way to fix it?!" Okuyasu gasped, watching in worry as Josuke was soon approached by the twins.

"The piece itself would need to be repaired by Rias or possibly Akeno." Sona explained, a bead of sweat rolling down her brow. "A spell to help bind the energy or put the piece back together temporarily would do. But neither of them are close by. He's going to have to suffer through it."

* * *

"It seems the modifications we made were not enough." Grayfia announced to her husband, standing several meters in front of him as she closely observed each battle going on. While her tone was a collected as before, the slightest bit of concern could be heard.

"We knew they weren't perfect. Ajuka wasn't available to help us make the modifications." Sirzechs sighed, holding his chin in thought. "Still, to overload the piece so quickly after what we did is both impressive and worrisome."

"As strong as his Stand is, I do not believe it possesses the same power as Jotaro Kujo's **Star Platinum**." Grayfia suggested inquisitively. "I did not think its latent potential was this strong."

"Then it appears his Stand has something to hide that even Josuke-kun is unaware of." Sirzechs guessed, narrowing his eyes. "But right now that's the least of his worries. We told him the risks of using a Temporary Piece as a human. He'll have to manage through the consequences."

* * *

"Here we come~!" The twins giggled a bit maniacally as they raised the chainsaws overhead, swinging down at the Stand user.

"Damn it!" Josuke cursed as at the last second he rolled out of the way from harm.

"Josuke!" Issei called out in fear, distracted by his concern and allowing himself to be struck hard in the gut once again by Mira, same as last time. A wind current blew him farther than before, launching him across the gymnasium hall and impacting against the wall.

"It seems your friend is having trouble." Isabella pointed out to Koneko, never stopping her attacks as she threw several jabs and a hook like a professional boxer. The petite girl parried and dodged what she could, trying to keep focus on the opponent at hand.

"Jojo's tough. I believe in him." Koneko retorted easily, dodging under another strike before delivering a quick kick to her opponent's gut. Isabella blanched in pain, skidding against the ground as she was knocked away. With that, Koneko could not stop herself from sparing a single glance back at Josuke, watching as he struggled to stand up. _Be careful, Jojo._

"You're wide open!" Isabella roared, bringing Koneko back from her thoughts and throwing a straight hook up under Koneko's jaw. The petite Devil only reacted just fast enough to dodge the blow, though her clothes were not so lucky as they tore apart on the left side of her body and exposed her underwear.

" _Josuke, are you alright?! What's happening?!"_ The tall teen heard over their comm. Link, his breath coming out a bit ragged.

"I-it's fine, don't worry about it." Josuke told her quietly, flipping backward to avoid another assault from the twins. "Stay focused on what you have to do."

"We should be saying that to you!" One of the twins giggled, coming down with the chainsaw again. This time though, Josuke only smirked instead of move.

 **DORA!** His Stand roared as it took shape once again, busting the blade of the saw in half with a single strike. The green haired Devil twins gawked in shock, but were left no time to stare as **Crazy Diamond** launched another series of punches. **DORARARARA~!**

"Ah!" The first twin cried out as the Stand delivered several fists to her gut and knocked her away. Josuke held back in his strikes, but hard enough to eliminate her as a threat as she fell unconscious to the floor. The second twin's mouth was agape, gripping her chainsaw in fear.

"H-how are you already recovering?! You were in pain just a few seconds ago!" She called out, pointing accusingly at Josuke. "Were you faking this whole time?"

"I wish I was, but that's not it." Josuke dismissed with a sigh before rolling his neck. "The Temporary Piece inside me wasn't holding too well together and was beginning to hurt me. So I had **Crazy Diamond** fix it so that it'll at least keep holding for now."

"Y-you bastard…" Issei huffed with a strained chuckle, forcing himself to stand up after the painful blow to his stomach. "And here I was all worried about you."

"Glad to see you're okay, Jojo." Koneko smiled without looking back at him, dodging a jab from Isabella and launching her own, only to be blocked.

"Sorry about that. It looks like I'll have to keep repairing it so that it doesn't happen again." Josuke hummed, turning to the remaining twin. "Now where were we?"

"I was just about to tear you to ribbons!" The remaining twin growled, her demonic energy resonating around her chainsaw. Josuke could only roll his eyes as his Stand appeared once again, reaching out and grabbing the twins ankle, messing up her charge and suspending her in the air. "H-hey! Put me down!"

"Sure." Josuke grinned cheekily, glancing past one twin to see the other slowly starting to get up and shaking away her dizziness. "It's weird to see you two apart anyways." He chuckled before **Crazy Diamond** spun the small Devil around then tossing her back at her sister.

"Ack!" They both cried out as they hit one another, gliding further down the hall and eventually sliding to a stop, the twins now disoriented. Issei witnessed it from the side as he blocked another hit from Mira, smirking as he felt a bit of challenge from the display.

"Josuke's over here handling business real easy, but I can't let him upstage me!" Issei proclaimed as he pushed Mira back for a moment. "So let's do this!" **Boost! Dragon Explosion!** His crimson bracer shined with life and even began to shift its shape, several more golden spikes erupting out of the forearm of the armor.

"Just because you changed how it looks a bit doesn't mean anything!" Mira growled as she launched another forward strike at his gut. This time instead of blocking or dodging, Issei caught the staff in his armored hand and grinned. Without hesitation, he quickly snapped the pole in half. "Wh-what?! My staff!"

"Things are a lot different from when we first fought!" Issei declared pridefully, cocking his arm back. "I'm not going down until I get to that fiery asshole!" He then delivered an open hand strike to Mira's stomach, knocking the wind out of her and sending Mira barreling back several meters before hitting the ground. Without her notice, a small magic circle appeared on Mira's clothing where he struck.

"I have to say, I'm impressed with the improvement of your pawn!" Isabella growled as she attempted a quick kick on Koneko. "I wouldn't have minded fighting him as well!"

"Issei works hard, despite being a pervert." Koneko answered as she quickly jumped over the strike, delivering her own while in the air right to Isabella's gut. The opposing rook gasped for air, but was given no time to recover once Koneko landed on the ground. She quickly attacked with a shoulder charge, adding damage to the same spot and knocking Isabella off of her feet and onto the ground.

"D-damn it, I'll get-" Isabella tried to pick herself up, only for Koneko to jump forward. She quickly threw the rook into an armlock, wrapping her legs around her left arm and pinning her body down with her feet.

"W-we're… not done yet…" The twins growled as they finally picked themselves off the ground, glaring heavily at Josuke.

"Come on, then. I don't like having to fight girls like this, but I'll see it through until we're done." Josuke retorted evenly, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he awaited their charge.

"Josuke, don't finish them off!" The tall teen cast a glance at Issei, who waved at him frantically. "If you can, toss them my way! I'll finish them off with my ultimate move!"

"Ultimate move?" Josuke repeated before sighing with a grimace. "Why do I have a bad feeling about this? Alright, fine. Just be ready." He called out as the twins charged once more, apparently having no decent plan of attack against the Stand user.

"Die!" They growled once they were close enough to strike. **Crazy Diamond** appeared once again and delivered a powerful right hook,hitting the first twin and knocking her into the other.

"Heads up!" Josuke called out, using the momentum of the strike to keep going and launching the two exasperated Devils toward brunette could only grin as he ran forward.

"That's just perfect, here I go!" Issei growled as his Devil wings spread on his back, gliding through the air and smacking both girls on the ass and causing them to whimper as they fell to the ground with a thud. He floated down next to Josuke, who could only raise a brow in confusion.

"Was… that it?"

"Not quite~!" Issei chuckled deviously before raising his crimson bracer in the air. He began to strike a rather flamboyant pose, similar to something Josuke might strike, and pointing his arm at the three girls.

"Unforgivable…" Mira growled, picking up her broken staff in both hands and surrounding them in her energy. "I'll strike you down!"

"We can't lose to a human and a loser!" One of the twins spat, picking up her broken chainsaw. "We'll cut you both apart!"

"We'll see about that! Now for my secret technique!" Issei proclaimed, a red aura surrounding him. Josuke's jaw slacked in amazement, actually becoming excited to see what his best friend might have learned during his absence. Even Koneko paused in her fight with Isabella, both rooks glancing up in wonder at what the pawn had planned.

"Now! **Dress! Break!** "

With that, he snapped his fingers, the magic circles he planted on the opposing pawns now shining with life. They paused in wonder before finally their clothes exploded off their bodies, leaving them naked for the world to see. Josuke ended up gawking in exasperation, struggling to find his words after what he had just witnessed. Koneko could only grimace, eyes narrowed in disappointment at her fellow piece.

" **No~!** " The girls cried out in embarrassment, quickly attempting to cover up their exposed bodies in vain. The brunette Devil released a smug laugh, placing his hands on his hips in triumph.

"How was that?! I kept imagining hot girls I met naked! And with that thought, I used all of my magical power to make it reality!" He exclaimed proudly, grinning lecherously at the now naked girls huddled up on the ground. Josuke was still gawking, cheeks red and irises absent as he seemed to still be processing what he had just seen.

* * *

Back in the broadcasting room, Sona and Tsubaki sat in awkward silence while Okuyasu was staring at the screens agape, a prominent blush adorning his cheeks as he too struggled to find words to describe what had just happened. Jotaro on the other hand was deadly silent, his eyes shaded by his hat, making his reaction nearly unreadable if it weren't for the small annoyed edge at the corner of his mouth.

"... It certainly is… effective in disabling his opponents movements, I suppose…" Sona finally struggled to compliment. "I'll at least give him points for originality…"

"What the **hell** kinda power is that?!" Okuyasu finally blurted, slamming his hands into the table and standing up.

"The worst kind of power." Tsubaki spoke rather stoically, though a small hint of disgust could be heard. "By the worst kind of person."

"What kind of scum comes up with an attack like that?" Jotaro finally muttered, shaking his head. "Yare yare daze… And this is supposed to be Josuke's best friend?"

* * *

"How'd you like my secret move, **Dress Break**?" Issei laughed as the girls glared at him in embarrassment, but still unable to do anything to punish him.

"You're the worst!" They cried out among other things, huddling closer together in hopes of covering up.

"I worked so hard on it with Asia! I'm so happy that it's finally been perfected!" Issei actually cried with joy, crocodile tears streaming down his cheeks as he smiled. That was quickly interrupted when he felt a heavy fist pound down on his head, nearly knocking him off his feet.

"What the **hell** was that?!" Josuke barked out, eye twitching as he couldn't help but feel embarrassed for both of them, his cheeks a furious red. "Here I thought you were actually going to do something cool! I can't believe you figured out how to be an even **bigger** pervert!"

"He's definitely the worst." Koneko sighed quietly, shaking her head in disappointment.

"Someday you'll understand, Josuke…" Issei struggled out, rubbing his head in pain before looking back up at his best friend with an unbreakable conviction. "That my powers are for the greater goo-"

"And did you say you were doing this with **Asia-chan**?" Josuke interrupted him with a heated glare, grabbing his collar as a newfound big brother mode activated within him. Issei actually buckled under that pressure, chuckling nervously as he held his hands up in surrender.

"W-would it help that… she just wanted to help me out?"

"... No."

Just as Issei prepared to get a barrage of fists from Josuke, a voice crackled in their ears: _"Enough dawdling, you three. Akeno has finished charging up. You all need to get out of there as fast as possible."_

"Oh, would you look at that! We have to get going!" Issei desperately reasoned, waving his arms around in hopes of being released. Josuke hesitated for a moment before finally releasing him.

"Damn it-we're finishing this later after the game!" Josuke cursed before they started running toward the exit. Koneko quickly followed, leaving an injured Isabella on the floor.

"He-hey! Our fight isn't done!" The opposing rook growled out in frustration, but was unable to follow after them due to her injuries. Suddenly the sound of cracking thunder could be heard above, causing her to pause in wonder. "What..?"

"So what exactly was Akeno-chan charging up?" Josuke asked Koneko curiously who didn't have much time to answer. Shortly after, a powerful bolt of lightning struck from above the gymnasium, completely obliterating the building and causing the three to be launched forward by the shockwave. Once the smoke cleared, all that was left was some burnt pieces of the old building and a black crater.

" _Three of Riser's pawns and a rook have been retired."_ Grayfia's voice echoed through the air. Josuke and Issei pushed up to their feet and both gawked at the scene before looking up to the sky to see Akeno floating above, static surrounding her hand and giggling lustfully.

"A-amazing…" Issei muttered out unable to find anything else to describe the scene before him.

"Akeno-sempai is known as the Priestess of Thunder. She's quite well known for her immense power." Koneko described to the two

"... Now **that** is an ultimate technique!" Josuke laughed in bewilderment, grinning up at the raven haired Devil. "That was so cool!"

"Oh, my~! It feels nice to hear you compliment me like that~!" Akeno giggled, licking her fingers lustfully as she wiggled her body.

"Okay, let's not take it that far…" Josuke deadpanned, a bead of sweat rolling on the back of his head.

* * *

"Such power…" Jotaro muttered in shock, for the first time witnessing the raw strength of Devils.

"While it's true that Stands are considered incredibly dangerous, especially one such as yours, Devils are not to be trifled with." Sona declared with a bit of pride. "Stands come with complex powers and ones such as yours and Josuke possess speed and strength beyond what most could handle. But we possess raw power at our behest."

"Wow, I didn't realize Akeno-sempai was that strong…" Okuyasu admitted, impressed as well.

"Power like that takes charging for someone of our level, though." Sona explained further. "It would not be viable for a one on one fight. But for a team battle it is quite useful. But she will need some time to recharge before she's at full strength."

"To destroy the centerpiece, a rather strategic position, was a very bold move by a rookie player." Tsubaki said, turning back to the game at hand.

"As expected of Rias." Sona smirked with a nod. "However, I'm afraid that this will force Riser's hand to attack with full force."

"Her knight seems to be holding out fine alone." Jotaro hummed, looking at one of the separate screens. Kiba was currently dueling with three women, who seemed to have a lot of trouble keeping up with him as he dashed around.

"A few pawns won't be too much trouble for him. But his knights and his queen especially will be difficult. Not to mention the mystery piece who has yet to make a move." Sona suggested, glancing up at the screens. "The real challenge begins now."

* * *

" _We're still outnumbered, remember that."_ Rias radioed to the three from their base. _"You need to give Akeno a chance to recover her energy. Once she has, we will join you all on the battlefield. Until then, you three should get ready for the next phase of the plan."_

"Alright then, let's get to it." Josuke nodded to the others.

"We're to meet up with Yuuto-senpai and eliminate the enemies in that area." Koneko reiterated for the two again, who nodded in confirmation.

"I wonder if Kiba is alright?" Issei wondered with a bit of worry, knowing the knight would be facing the enemies alone.

"We'll just have to trust that he'll be okay." Josuke hummed, gripping his fist. "Let's get going. It wouldn't be good to stay out in the open field like this with enemies around."

"Yeah, you're right. He's probably strutting his way to victory with an annoyingly handsome smile or something." Issei scoffed before turning to Koneko. "Let's get going, Koneko-chan." He said as he reached out for her, only for the petite Devil to recoil from him.

"Don't touch me." She quietly hissed, narrowing her eyes at him.

"C-come on, now. I wouldn't use it on teammates." Issei sheepishly dismissed, rubbing the back of his head.

"I wouldn't put it past you." Josuke sighed, reaching out with his Stand and touching Koneko's clothes. "Here, I'll repair all that for you."

Koneko watched as her shirt and skirt fixed back into place before looking up at Josuke. "Thank you. But I'm mad at you, too." She stated casually, turning her back to the tall teen who blinked in wonder.

"M-me too?!" Josuke blurted, reaching out toward Koneko. "Wh-what did I do to get in trouble?"

Koneko only looked back at Josuke with narrowed eyes. "Accomplice."

"Eh?!" Josuke grunted in confusion, eye twitching uncontrollably. "Wai-wait, you're not talking about when I knocked those twins to Issei, are you?! I had no idea what he was going to do, though!"

"You are technically my accomplice in that." Issei chuckled teasingly, causing Josuke to nearly fall over.

"I'm disappointed in you." Koneko simply said, her words stabbing through Josuke like a knife.

"K-Koneko-chan~! Don't look at me like you do Issei, please…" Josuke whined slightly, watching as the white haired Devil only turned her back to him again and started to walk away. In truth, Koneko didn't honestly feel that way. But it was rather amusing to tease him, after all. _I can tell why Akeno-senpai does it._ A small, comfortable smile etched into the edge of her lips, keeping it hidden from the tall teen as she tried to stay a stable distance ahead of the two.

Perhaps that was why she hadn't noticed a small magic circle floating down to her.

Only a moment later did it explode.

 **To be continued…**

 **Sorry for cutting this chapter short guys, but don't worry. The next chapter will be on the way shortly. I was planning to make it all one huge chapter, but that didn't pan out because, well, the next half was HUGE, so I thought I'd make it easier on my Beta and let him finish the touches on this first half. Hope you all enjoy this big two parter, I know it's been driving me crazy writing this huge fight! Expect even more!**


	16. Chapter 16

**(Author's note: quick edit was made to fix a missing paragraph during the first fight and the wording of 'nee' to 'nii')**

 **Chapter 16**

Josuke and Issei took a moment to process what had just happened, the debris flying through the air and the smoke creating a large cloud where the white haired Devil once stood. Josuke visibly shook until both boys could finally speak.

" **Koneko-chan!"** They cried out, rushing to the crater. Josuke skidded across the ground once he was close enough, feeling a bit of relief once he saw Koneko's body. She seemed intact aside from her clothes, which were mostly blown away. Her breathing was quiet, but more importantly she was alive. Josuke didn't give a thought to her bare body, quickly cradling her in his arms.

" _Josuke, Issei! What happened to Koneko?! One of you, answer me!"_ Rias' ordered over the comm., but boys were too consumed with what had happened to answer her directly.

"Who the hell did that?! Huh?!" Issei roared in anger before finally catching sight of a figure in the air. It was Yubelluna, Riser's queen. In her hand was a large staff that radiated with her demonic energy, a sultry smile on her lips.

"Take." she giggled, licking her lips.

"I-I'm sorry…" Koneko muttered out, weakly glancing up at Josuke. "I-I wanted to be of more help to president…"

"Don't worry about that now." Josuke hushed her as **Crazy Diamond** materialized above him and reached out toward the rook. "I'm going to heal you-" before he could finish, a blue aura covered Koneko, causing her to cry out in pain as she seemed to dissipate in his arms. Issei cast a glance back at Josuke, eyes widened in grief and shock. The taller teen's breath hitched, biting his bottom lip as he visibly trembled and his hair covered his brow. Slowly, he stood up and turned a furious glare toward Yubelluna, a fire in his eyes. "You **bitch.** I'll fucking kill you."

"Get down here and fight us, damn it!" Issei barked furiously, gripping his crimson bracer as he prepared to engage the queen.

" _Issei, Josuke! Calm down!"_ Rias suddenly spoke in their ears, causing them to hesitate for moment before Josuke continued to stomp forward.

"President! But she-"

" _Koneko is fine! Don't let your anger cloud your judgements!"_ Rias quickly explained, her words finally pulling Josuke out of his rage. _"Those who are no longer able to fight are teleported outside of the game and their wounds treated. You both need to calm down and stay focused."_

"S-so she's alive?" Josuke muttered before sighing in relief. "That's good. I was about to lose it for a moment." He admitted, turning a glare toward Yubelluna. "Lucky you. Now I'll just let you off with an ass kicking."

"Give it up, boy." The opposing queen scoffed, smirking down at the two tauntingly. "I know your Stand can only reach about two meters away from you. From this distance, you're nothing."

"Is that right? Then go ahead and try me." Josuke growled, stepping forward once more.

"I'll try and get her on the ground for you." Issei suggested, spreading his Devil wings. "Then let her have it."

"It's useless to struggle. This game is ours." Yubelluna chuckled, holding her staff up to launch an attack. Josuke and Issei were prepared to move, but paused when a familiar face in Akeno floated down in front of them.

"Oh, my. Don't think you can threaten our boys so easily." Akeno giggled, turning to look back at the boys for a moment. "You two move on. I'll handle her."

"Akeno-san!"

"Don't worry. I'll avenge Koneko-chan with all my might." Akeno reassured with a small giggle. Issei gulped for a moment before nodding.

"Okay then! Take her down, Akeno-sa-"

"No can do."

 **(JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OST: Josuke's theme)**

Akeno, Issei, and even Yubelluna paused for a moment, all turning their attention toward Josuke who stomped forward. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and glowered up at the opposing queen. "I'll be the one to take her out."

"Wait, Josuke! We should let Akeno-san handle it!" Issei reasoned, shaking his head. "We don't have time to mess around with her."

"You're right, we don't. That's why **you** are going to have to move on ahead." Josuke instructed, glancing at Issei. "Meet up with Kiba and get the rest of that asshole's peerage to show up. I'm sure you'll both handle them fine without me."

"Josuke-kun. Yubelluna is no joke. I should be the one to handle her." Akeno reasoned, keeping her eyes on the opposing queen in case she were to try and attack while they conversed.

" _Akeno's right, Josuke-kun. I'm not sure if it's wise for you-"_

"We need Akeno-chan at full power, right?" Josuke retorted, keeping his eyes locked on Yubelluna as well. "If she spends too much time fighting this chick, she won't be able to help us out later. So let me handle this."

Issei bit his bottom lip in fear before taking a deep breath and giving the strongest smile he could. "Josuke's right, president. Believe in him."

Rias was silent for a long moment, Akeno unsure what her decision would be. Finally they heard a sigh from the other side. _"Alright. Josuke, if you think you can take her out, do your best."_

"No problem." Josuke grinned, giving Issei a thumbs up. "I'll see you on the other side. Now get going."

"Got it! Give her a good one for me!" Issei called out before running off toward the main school building.

"The arrogance of humans." Yubelluna giggled, floating a little lower to the ground. "It was one thing to think you could take me out with the pawn, but **alone**? How full of yourself are you? I was looking forward to fighting the Priestess of Thunder, but it'll be more amusing to put you in your place."

"Josuke-kun." Akeno spoke, looking down at the tall teen gravely. "I'm going to remain here and watch. If it seems she is too much for you, I shall step in."

"Thanks, but I don't think you'll need to." Josuke smirked, glancing back up at the raven haired Devil. "After all, I've got a sure fire plan that will work."

"Sure fire plan?" Yubelluna scoffed, raising a brow as she crossed her arms.

"Well, this is quite a surprise." a new voice spoke, the three remaining fighters looking past Yubelluna to see another one approaching from the sky. It was the petite blonde from Riser's peerage, though her Devil wings were made of fire instead of looking similar to a bat's. "I didn't think you'd be crazy enough to challenge our queen so lightly."

"Who are you supposed to be?" Josuke narrowed his eyes, not expecting another member of the peerage to appear.

"You are speaking to milady Ravel Phenex, younger sister of Riser-sama and bishop of our peerage." Yubelluna introduced her, smiling up at the petite blonde who waved cutely at the tall teen. Josuke could only raise a brow.

"Little sister? And you're part of his peerage?" Josuke blinked for a moment before gawking. "Don't tell me that peacock bastard is into his little sister too?!"

"Wh-what?! No!" Ravel quickly dismissed with a faint blush. "My brother has never approached me like that! I'm just the tactician of his peerage!"

"A-ah, okay…" Josuke muttered, though sounded unconvinced. "So are you planning on fighting me too?"

"Not a chance. I'm only here to observe." Ravel scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I never fight in the games. Never need to. But I do have an interest in seeing what a Stand can do. That little display during the first meet was rather impressive to disable Mira so quickly."

"I think it's a waste of your time, Ravel-sama." Yubelluna giggled, narrowing her eyes at Josuke. "I'll be disposing of this human rather quickly."

"Perhaps, but I'd like to see for myself. Please, continue." Ravel urged them with a smirk, relaxing where she hovered in the air. Josuke kept his eyes on her, untrusting of whether or not she would interfere.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure it's just between you two." Akeno reassured him, floating up higher to be at level with Ravel. Josuke nodded in thanks, turning back to Yubelluna.

"I think we've done enough talking." He smirked, pulling his hands out and cracking his knuckles. "Let's make this **great**."

* * *

Issei ran as fast as he could, leaving Josuke and Akeno to their opponent, and approached the closest building to the main school house. For now, Issei had to keep his focus forward toward his next objective: regroup with Kiba and force the rest of the peerage out of hiding. Speaking of which, he wondered if the knight was doing well enough on his own, a bit worried he might have been over-

" _Three of Riser's pawns, retired."_

Issei almost tripped at the announcement, looking up at the sky in astonishment. "Three of them?!" Without warning, he felt his arm being grabbed before being pulled to the side, quickly readying for a fight until he saw that it was none other than Yuuto.

"Kiba?!" Issei blurted before grinning without a thought. "I'm guessing those pawns were you, then?"

"That's right. I didn't want to keep you and Josuke-kun waiting too long. Thanks to Akeno-senpai's barrier, I was able to make quick work of them." Kiba smirked before his smile fell. "I heard what happened over the comm though."

Issei frowned and nodded solemnly. "Yeah. We lost Koneko-chan and Josuke wanted to fight the queen himself."

"I hope he can handle a queen on his own, but I believe in Josuke-kun as well. It's a shame, though. Koneko-chan isn't easily excitable, but she was quite pumped for the fight today." Kiba encouraged before looking a bit saddened. He shook his head and smiled, holding a fist out to Issei. "So let's do her and president proud by pushing forward."

"Yeah, you're right." Issei nodded with a broad grin, quickly meeting his knuckles for a fist bump. "Let's get those other pieces out into play. Then Akeno-san and Josuke can relax once they get here. We'll win this thing no matter what."

" _Yuuto, Issei. Can you both hear me?"_ Rias' voice spoke over their communication link. _"I'm going to make a change to the plan. While I trust that Josuke can take down the queen, I want to take our enemies by surprise. So once you've lured out the last of his pieces, inform me."_

"Wh-what are you going to do, president?" Issei questioned curiously, knowing this went against the original plan.

" _I'm going to launch a direct attack against Riser himself."_

"Wh-what? But president, that's a very risky tactic!" Kiba reasoned with worry. "It'll be dangerous for you to leave the main base alone!"

" _I'm going to bring Asia with me to keep my energy filled. Right now, Riser is not going to expect a direct attack from me personally. That's what I'm counting on."_ Rias explained further for the knight. _"Riser might be immortal, but his spirit isn't. If I can take him by surprise and do decent damage to him, I can break his spirit. But I'll need you both to keep his remaining pieces busy until Akeno and Josuke are able to catch up. Understood?"_

Issei and Kiba exchanged a look, their brows hardening before they nodded in acceptance. "You can count on us, president." Issei declared before the two departed from their hiding spot. "Let's go and show these girls what we're made of!"

* * *

Josuke had dodged around several bombs at this point, having stayed on his toes throughout the entire beginning of their fight. Yubelluna didn't seem to have much trouble from where she was, as Josuke had been unable to reach anywhere near her position in the air. Akeno had to admit that at this point, she was becoming worried. She wasn't sure how Josuke could compensate for the distance, as his tactic of throwing something then repairing it would be almost too obvious to use in such an open space.

Another explosion hit the ground, but Josuke had rolled out of the way once again. He skidded to a stop and ground his teeth in frustration as he looked back up at the opposing queen. Yubelluna released an audible yawn, holding her hand over her mouth. "While I commend you for the fact that you've been able to avoid being taken out, I'm starting to lose interest."

"Yeah, even I am a bit disappointed at what I'm seeing right now." Ravel sighed, shaking her head. "I know that distance is a problem for you, but being unable to do so much as hit her once is a bit sad."

"Come down here and say that! We'll see how long you yawn!" Josuke growled in annoyance at his enemy, taking another step forward.

 ***Pound***

Without warning, he felt his chest surge with pain again, cringing as he quickly gripped his chest. _The piece is acting up again…_ He took a deep breath, quickly using **Crazy Diamond's** ability to repair it back to its full form. _Shit, I really am going to have to finish this quickly. I'm getting nowhere. It's time for_ _ **that**_ _plan._

"I'd like to see you reach me on your own. That is to say if you can survive long enough to try." Yubelluna giggled, holding her staff out to launch another bomb.

"I do have a way. In fact, as I said before, I have a sure fire plan to finish you off." Josuke declared, actually causing Yubelluna to pause.

"Is that right? Well then, enlighten me." She goaded, smirking as she prepared for whatever he might do.

"I'll reach you in no time at all. And all I'll need are my legs." Josuke further built up, slapping his thigh to stretch the point. Now, Yubelluna was becoming impatient, grinding her teeth.

"Then try it already! What is this so called plan of yours?!" She snapped angrily, only causing Josuke to chuckle.

"It's real simple. It's something that Jotaro-san himself taught me." Josuke further explained, holding up a finger as he remembered back to the training camp. "It's apparently been passed down the Joestar family for some time now."

"Joestar?" Ravel repeated with a look of realization. "So he really is from that heroic bloodline..?"

"This ultimate strategy has apparently never failed. And the main idea of it is… to…" Josuke became silent for a moment, his expression as serious and focused as possible. But on the inside, he could only think one thing: _I'm gonna look pretty lame right now._

" **Run away!** " With that proclamation, Josuke spun on his heel and darted toward the forest as fast as he could. It took a moment for the three Devils around him to process exactly what had transpired, all blinking after a moment before blanching.

" **Wh-what?!** " Ravel and Yubelluna cried out in exasperation, watching as Josuke almost comically sprinted for the forest. Akeno watched him for an unbelieving moment before finally giggling almost uncontrollably, covering her mouth with her sleeve.

"J-Josuke-kun, what kind of plan is that?"

" _A-Akeno… did I hear Josuke-kun right, just now?"_

* * *

Back in the broadcasting room, Okuyasu yet again found himself gawking at the screens as he watched alongside Tsubaki, Sona, and Jotaro. "Wh-what kind of dumb plan is that for a fight?!"

"Is… that truly a plan passed down by your family, Jotaro-san?" Tsubaki had to ask, glancing at the elder Stand user. Though much to her surprise, she saw that Sona was somewhat bewildered by what she had seen, her glasses fogged as she let out a quiet gasp.

"I-it really is a family passed strategy… I didn't think I'd see Josuke-san use it for himself…" She muttered, a bit of amazement evident in her voice. Next to her, Jotaro gave no answer to Tsubaki's question, only looking up at the screens with a small smirk at the edge of his mouth.

* * *

Yubelluna watched Josuke as he approached the tree line for another moment before shaking her head and narrowing her eyes. "What a fool, trying to throw us off with such a stupid plan. I'll end you right now!" She growled as an orange magic circle shined from her staff.

"Really, though. And here I actually thought he was kind of cool after that big scene he made at the meeting…" Ravel sighed, shaking her head. "Cute boys are always disappointing."

Akeno watched Yubelluna with worry, her eyes darting back to Josuke. "Watch out, Josuke!" She called out, unsure if she could blast the opposing queen in time before she launched the attack. Josuke didn't turn or say anything to regard the raven haired Devil, still approaching the tree line.

"Good bye, Stand user." Yubelluna scoffed before shooting the magic circle forward. Almost as if he knew when she attacked, though, Josuke's legs seemed to change. Like they had become **Crazy Diamond's** and not his own.

 **(JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OST-Breakdown)**

 _It's time to use the other training that Jotaro-san put me through._ With a surprising burst of speed, Josuke pushed forward at the last moment and avoided the explosion, flipping through the air and landing feet first against the trunk of the trees. He looked back up to the sky to see Yubelluna staring at him wide eyed and confused. His legs again became like his Stand's, quickly kicking off the tree with great strength and launching Josuke upward at high speeds toward the opposing queen.

 _He… used the tree as a springboard to launch himself forward!_ Akeno realized, eyes wide as she watched him approach the purple haired Devil.

"Wh-what?! How did you-" Yubelluna sputtered in shock for a moment before grinding her teeth and holding up her staff, launching another magic circle at Josuke as he approached closer and closer. **Crazy Diamond** materialized into existence, launching a quick fist at the circle and dispersing it into nothing. If one looked close enough, they might have noticed a small chain hanging out from it's grasp. "He-he dispelled my magic?!"

"Yubelluna, don't let him get too close!" Ravel suddenly cried out as she realized just how fast the Stand user was approaching, but it was too little too late. Josuke smirked as he was almost face to face with the purple haired Devil.

"This is for Koneko-chan." He stated gravely as **Crazy Diamond's** entire body appeared before him, floating just a bit above Yubelluna. The queen felt a bead of sweat roll down her head before she feebly attempted to hold her staff up for another attack.

She should have used it to block instead. Not that it would have helped much.

 **DORARARARARARARARARARARA~!** The Stand roared as it launched a barrage of powerful kicks, breaking the staff in half before quickly blasting Yubelluna in the stomach with a blinding rush, immediately knocking the wind out of her before doing even more damage, leaving Yubelluna unable to keep her focus and balance in the air. **Crazy Diamond** spun in the air with its leg reared back before delivering one last devastating kick to her abdomen. **DORA!** With that, Yubelluna sailed through the air before hitting the ground at breakneck speeds.

"Yubelluna!" Ravel cried out in complete shock, her jaw slacking as she saw Riser's strongest servant taken down. She watched as Josuke used his Stand to overlap with his legs, landing on the ground with a loud thud, seemingly unharmed by the height of the fall. He had trouble balancing for a moment before taking a breath of relief.

"I still need to work on the landing…" He muttered to himself before looking down at the crater created by the opposing queen, humming in thought for a moment. "Well, it worked decent enough anyways."

"He… really did it…" Akeno mumbled in amazement as she watched him approach the fallen enemy, who was seemingly still conscious, but in evident pain. Yubelluna weakly flipped onto her stomach, feebly crawling away from the Stand user as he approached.

"S-such power… I can't believe that… it's that strong…" She gasped out, reaching into the straps of her dress. "J-just have to take it… take it and I'll be… fine…" Yubelluna mumbled out as she trembled with pain. Slowly, she pulled out a tiny bottle, weakly attempting to open it.

"What's that you got there?" Without warning, **Crazy Diamond's** hand quickly snatched the bottle away from the weak Devil, causing her to gasp in fear once he placed it in his own hand. He held it up in the light, examining the bottle with a bit of interest.

"H-hey! That is ours!" Ravel called out from above, turning the tall teen's gaze to her for a moment before looking back at the bottle.

"Must be pretty useful if you're making a fuss over it." Josuke grinned goofily, stuffing it in his jacket pocket. "I guess I'll keep it then."

"H-hey!" Ravel complained, only to be ignored as Josuke turned back to Yubelluna who was still around, barely hanging on by a thread.

"Y-you… damn…" She muttered out, struggling to speak before finally her head hit the dirt, the familiar blue aura surrounding her body and dissipating into thin air. Ravel could only watch helplessly as the lone human of Rias' team dusted his jacket off and stuffed his hands in his pockets before turning to leave. Despite the fact that he was an enemy, and even the fact that he just eliminated one of their strongest assets, the Phenex daughter could only think one thing about the human:

"Amazing…"

"Quite so, isn't he?" Ravel blinked back into reality when she heard Akeno's voice giggling to the side, slightly recoiling away from her once she realized the opposing queen was so close to her. "He only seems to become more so with each day." Akeno spoke with admiration as she watched him.

"Oi, Akeno-chan." Josuke suddenly called out, turning his gaze back to the raven haired Devil. "We should get going, now. Everyone's probably waiting."

"Okay~!" Akeno nodded excitedly, flying ahead to the main school building. Josuke spared a glance at Ravel with a raised brow before giving a small salute.

"Well, since you're not planning to do any fighting, I guess I'll catch you later." He bid farewell, taking off in a sprint to join the others as quickly as possible.

"See you…" Ravel muttered as she watched him depart before finally shaking her head furiously. "Wh-what am I doing?! I have to get back to the others to readjust the plans!" She blurted out before taking off through the sky back to the rest of the peerage. She was reminded quite brutally about Yubelluna's defeat when she heard Grayfia's voice above.

" _Riser's queen, retired."_

* * *

"I had no idea a Stand user could launch themselves with such speed…" Tsubaki muttered, no less stunned by Josuke's victory than anyone else.

"I seem to remember something similar being used during your fight with Dio." Sona declared, looking up at her hero with a smile. "Did you teach him that?"

"That's right. I figured that since his Stand was fairly similar to mine, that he could make it work the same way I did." Jotaro confirmed with a nod. "Seems like he was able to put it to use, at least. The only problem with it is that it's difficult to change direction in mid air. It's only pseudo flight if you could call it anything."

"I was still havin' problems doin' that myself, but Josuke used it pretty well!" Okuyasu smiled in excitement, grinning at the others. "These guy are gonna take this game now!"

"We'll see. Riser is still a powerful threat alone." Sona pointed out but couldn't stop a smile. "But their chances are starting to look up."

* * *

" _Riser's queen, retired."_

Those words echoed through the track field, causing Issei and Kiba to pause in their own battles as well as their opponents. The two were currently crossing paths with the enemy knights, Karlamine and Siris, while the remaining bishop and pawns stood by before the announcement was made. It was easy to tell that the queen's fall took many of the opposing peerage by surprise, the Zweihander wielding knight sweating in shock.

"Josuke did it! Took him long enough!" Issei laughed, grinning ear to ear as he spared a glance at Kiba.

"I'm sure Koneko-chan is quite happy to hear it, too." Kiba chuckled, unable to keep his own joy of the news hidden as he smiled.

"N-no way! There's no way that a single human beat Yubelluna!" Riser's other bishop, Mihae, dismissed. "The enemy queen must have blindsided her!"

"Tell yourselves that all you want." Josuke's voice called out, causing the field full of Devils to turn their attention to the approaching Stand user who was running as fast as he could. "It's not going to fix the fact that we're winning this game!"

"It's him." Karlamine narrowed her eyes, gripping her sword. "Don't let him get inside the building!"

"Right! Ni, Li! Intercept the Stand user!" Mihae ordered the much bustier set of twins. "Don't let him through!"

"Right!" The cat girls cooed before rushing forward to meet Josuke head on. The tall teen only smirked before looking up to the air.

"Oi~! Akeno-chan! Mind helping me out real quick?"

"Of course~!" The Priestess of Thunder's response came, causing the twins to widen their eyes as they looked to the sky. Before they knew it, they were blasted with a powerful bolt of lightning. They cried out in pain, both girls falling to the ground once the attack ceased. Moments later, they disappeared from the battlefield.

" _Two of Riser's pawns, retired."_

"Akeno-san!" Issei cried out in joy, watching as the raven haired Devil floated down to the battlefield in front of Issei and Kiba.

"You two go on ahead with Josuke-kun. I'm going to handle these three." Akeno told them with a wink, static radiating from her as she squared off with the three opponents.

"Got it! We'll make sure to help president as much as we can!" Issei nodded to the queen before turning to Kiba with a thumbs up. Both boys soon took off, meeting Josuke halfway to the main school building.

"Where is Rias at, anyway?" Josuke asked as he ran at pace with them once they arrived.

"She went on ahead to fight Riser alone. Asia-chan is there to keep her sustained with energy." Kiba explained, causing Josuke to click his tongue.

"Damn it, she was too impatient. We should have attacked all together if he's as strong as she says." Josuke sighed before shaking his head. "Whatever, it's too late to complain now. We'll be up there in no time."

"Right. And now that we're here..." Issei trailed off once they entered the building, standing in place for a moment. "Give me the power of a queen…" He muttered, his chest glowing red as the Promotion took effect, giving him the boost in all around power.

"Great. With that power up, the three of us should easily kick his-" Josuke stopped once he turned, finally noticing the presence of a lone girl inside the large hall. She was quietly seated in a chair several meters across from them, her eyes watching them analytically.

"So you've arrived." She suddenly spoke, standing from her seat. "It's about time. I was wondering if my services were actually needed. Considering the announcements of all of our allies falling, though, I also wasn't sure if we were winning."

"Who are you?!" Kiba snapped, hand immediately going to his blade cautiously.

"I am the replacement rook for this game, Yukako Yamagishi." The girl introduced herself with a polite bow, though her eyes remained icy and blank once she rose. "I am a Stand user, not a Devil."

"So then we're going to have to fight our way through you?" Issei narrowed his eyes, gripping his crimson bracer in preparation for another fight. "You can't take all three of us on!"

"My only job is to fight Josuke Higashikata, the other Stand user part of this game." Yukako declared, turning her icy cold gaze to the tallest teen. "But if the rest of you come at me, I won't hesitate in taking you all on. I have my own goal to achieve here."

Before Issei or Kiba could retort her claim, Josuke took a step forward, holding an arm up to keep them back. "You two go on ahead. President probably needs all the help she can get."

"Wait, what?! Why don't we just fight her together! We can make this quick!" Issei argued, shaking his head. "There's no way she can hold all three of us off."

"Maybe not, but we don't know what powers her Stand has." Josuke argued, glancing back at Issei. "She could take one of us by surprise and possibly eliminate someone. The best option is for me to stay and take her out while you two go on ahead and help Rias beat that asshole."

Issei bit his tongue for a moment before looking at Kiba for his input. The blond knight took a moment to think before nodding. "I think he's right. We should move on, Issei-kun."

"I'm not interested in either of you. If Josuke Higashikata remains, I won't bother with attacking you." Yukako declared, glancing uninterestedly at the brunette. Issei opened his mouth to protest further, but was shaken by an explosion from above the building. Anxiety filled him, knowing that he had to get to Rias as soon as possible. Finally, he sighed.

"Alright. Try to catch up once you're done here." Issei told Josuke, patting him on the shoulder before looking back at Kiba. "Let's go help president!"

"Right!" Yuuto agreed before casting a glance at Josuke. "Don't keep us waiting too long, you hear?"

"Wouldn't dream of it." Josuke smirked before walking forward to meet Yukako. The two Devils departed with that, racing up the stairs to try and reach the top level as quickly as possible. Josuke watched the two leave for a moment before turning back to Yukako, eyes narrowed. "Before we start this, I want to at least know what's in it for you to be here."

The opposing Stand user only raised her brow before releasing a huff. "I feel something is missing from my life. Like something or someone that belonged to me has been taken away completely. I don't know exactly how to explain it, but it makes me feel empty…" She explained, eyes softening a bit as she gripped at her heart. "I can't figure out what it is, but I feel like I need something there… so when I sought out a Devil's contract to solve this, the girl Ravel Phenex offered me an item to find my love."

"Find your love?" Josuke muttered with a raised brow. "Don't you think asking a Devil is a bit serious just to do that? Then again, it seems like people ask for real petty shit after hearing what Issei goes through…"

"If finding my love will fill this void within me, then I will do whatever it takes to achieve my goal." Yukako darkly stated, before her hair suddenly started to move and extend. At first Josuke thought it might be the wind, but after a moment, he saw that it was truly stretching beyond normal limits and spreading like large dark tendrils through the hall. "I will defeat you with my Stand, **Love Deluxe!** "

* * *

"Well, isn't this a surprise? Another Stand user made by Keicho Nijimura?" The queen of Myrcella's peerage hummed as he watched Josuke's current opponent. "Did you know about this one, Myrcella?"

"I was aware, but I wasn't quite sure how I felt about her power." The young Lucifuge daughter admitted, holding her chin. "In retrospect, it's quite simple in the fact that it's control of her hair. How strong can that be? But perhaps I underestimated it."

"You think she'd make part of the peerage?" Malia questioned, licking her lips. "She's pretty cute…"

"I'm not sure. Perhaps this game will show us exactly what we want to know and whether I think she'll be worth the trouble." Myrcella hummed in thought. "But it'll be difficult to approach that territory so closely again. It'll most likely be better to stick to using people who are not related to that school. That is, if Rias and her misfit team can win, of course."

* * *

Issei and Kiba raced up the stairs, reaching the highest level of the school before reaching one of the outside windows. "Through here! We can reach the roof from the window!" Issei called out as he pushed open the blinds. Kiba quickly followed, both teens hopping out and balancing on the shingles of the rooftop. Another explosion rocked the school building, almost causing them to lose their footing. They quickly turned their attention to the source, watching as Rias blocked a ball of flame from Riser. Her clothes were tattered, revealing her chest and parts of her waist. Asia stood behind her, doing her best to heal her master while she continued to fight. It was rather obvious that girls were on their last leg, panting for breath as the crimson haired Devil lashed out with another blast of black energy.

On the opposite side, Riser stood with a smug smile, allowing his arm to be blown off without much care. Moments later, it regenerated from his body, almost as if nothing had happened at all. "Come now, my love, don't tell me that's all you've got?"

"I'll show you what I've got!" Rias snapped in frustration, sending more of her power of destruction out and hitting his shoulder. Like his arm, it reformed without problem, Riser only chuckling in response to Rias' attempt to harm him.

"She's got **us** too!" Issei proclaimed, causing the three to pause in their fight as he and Kiba approached.

"Issei! Yuuto!" Rias smiled in relief down at her pieces, overjoyed to see that both had made it this far.

"Issei-san! You made it!" Asia teared up, relieved and happy to see the brunette unharmed.

"Oh, look, more of your pathetic servants to squash." Riser scoffed, crossing his arms as he watched the two climb up the roof, standing in front of Rias protectively and preparing their Sacred Gears. "But I have to say, I'm a bit disappointed. Where's the Stand user? I was hoping he'd at least make it here so I could crush him as well."

"Don't worry about him. He'll take care of your replacement rook and join us in no time." Kiba declared as he kept his sword forward, ready for any quick movement Riser might make.

"That's just fine. I don't mind stepping on the rest of your servants by myself if I have to." The Phenex air chuckled, smirking at the four in challenge.

"You'll never reach Rias! Not while we're still standing!" Issei growled, gripping his crimson bracer. "President, rest now and let Asia heal you! Kiba and I will take this asshole out ourselves!"

"Wh-what?! No! I won't let my-" Rias began to protest before Kiba quickly placed a hand on her shoulder.

"We've got this. You're the most important piece and we'll do everything we can for you." Kiba quickly told her, giving a small smile. "Take some time to heal yourself up, president."

"B-but…" Rias tried to reason, only for Asia to grab her shoulders gently from behind her.

"Believe in them. Believe in Issei." Asia told her with a meek, but confident, smile as her **Twilight Healing** activated again. "I'll make sure you're back to full power!"

"Let's do this, Kiba!" Issei roared as he rushed forward, his **Boosted Gear** glowing with life. **Boost!**

"Got it!" Kiba followed his lead, his sword transforming into a black blade as he rushed forward.

"W-wait!" Rias tried to stop them, but felt her hand recoil after attempting to reach out. _I… I have to believe in them. Especially in Issei…_ "Fight hard, you two…"

"Of course!" Issei smiled as he approached Riser, cocking his arm back. "I'm going to make you forfeit if it's the last thing I do, asshole!"

"Are two low level Devil's supposed to scare me? Useless…" Riser laughed as fire swirled around his hand. Kiba narrowed his eyes, quickly changing his blade again before rushing past Issei with his speed. It became long and silver, but the end was arched like a diamond at the top.

"Stay behind me!" Kiba called out to Issei, taking a defensive stance. The brunette obeyed, stopping and watching with fear and interest as their opponent launched a powerful fireball at the two. At the center of the sword's diamond, a small black ball appeared, creating a miniature vortex. The inferno collided with the knight's blade, causing him to grind his teeth as he held strong, his blade cracking a bit but continuing to absorb the attack. With a bit more strength, Kiba roared as he slashed through the attack, his blade absorbing the last bit of the flames left behind.

"Alright! That was great, Kiba!" Issei praised with a grin, but paused once he saw that the knight was sweating, his breath a bit uneven.

"I somehow made it through…" Kiba chuckled a bit tiredly. "But that was just one attack. Stay focused."

"You made your blade change at the last second." Riser observed, narrowing his eyes as he smirked. "Would that happen to be **Sword Birth**?"

"That's right. My Sacred Gear allows me to make many different types of swords." Kiba declared, the blade of his current sword falling apart before reforming as a black blade once more. "I can summon as many as I wish and use them with the utmost skill."

"Ah, I see. You certainly have an interesting bunch of Sacred Gear users in your peerage, my love." Riser chuckled mockingly, crossing his arms over his chest. " **Boosted Gear** , **Twilight Healing** , **Sword Birth**. All such grand titles. But in the end…" Fire started to radiate from Riser now, his smirk growing into a sinister smile. "In the end, they are **nothing** before the might of the Phenex!" He cackled, two balls of flame concentrating in his hands before throwing them both at the low level Devils before him.

"Move!" Kiba exclaimed before disappearing with his speed. Issei spread his Devil wings, quickly jumping up and avoiding the blast as it took apart the roof where he once stood.

"Damn, that's some power…" Issei muttered before grinding his teeth and pointing his Sacred Gear forward. "Let's see if you can take one of my own!" _Just like Akeno-san taught you, focus energy into one spot…_ He reminded himself, a small red orb forming in the palm of his bracer. _There it is! Now_ _ **release**_ _!_ Issei cocked his arm back and punched the small sphere of red energy. With that motion, the orb exploded into a beam of energy and shot straight forward at the Phenex heir.

"What's this?" Riser hummed before the blast seemed to consume him. The red energy shot through Riser and hit the track field behind him, causing a powerful explosion. His body seemed to be drifting apart in flames, causing Issei to grin.

"How'd you like that, bas-" He began, but went wide eyed as the flames started to reform once again, the part of his body dispersed quickly regenerating again. "No way…"

"That wasn't half bad for a low level lackey, I'll give you that." Riser chuckled, a knowing grin crossing his features. "But you'll need to do better than that to snuff out the immortal flame of the Phenex clan."

"Then how about **this**!" Riser paused before looking forward, Kiba's form reappearing before him. He took one step back, narrowly avoiding a slash from the knight's blade. It did, however, cause a cut on the surface of his cheek.

"Kiba!" Issei smiled in appreciation as the knight landed back on his feet and prepared to attack once more.

"You little shit." Riser's eyes lit up with his fury, flames swirling in his palms again as he spread his flaming wings. "How dare you cut me. You lowly piece of trash!" The gash finally healed, but notably slower than his previous injuries.

"Issei! Try physical moves! His body may regenerate easier if it's from an energy source!" Kiba advised the pawn, who nodded in understanding.

"I got it! We'll hit him with a barrage of punches then!" Issei declared, gripping his crimson bracer. "But I'm going to need more power than this... " He held the Sacred gear up to his face and spoke "Red dragon, please listen to my plea, give me more power! Much more so that I can defeat this guy!"

 **Dragon Booster!**

"More, I need more!" Issei begged, holding his arm up in the air. "Please, match my feelings and give me the power I desire! **Boosted Gear**!"

 **Dragon Booster, Second Liberation!** The bracer roared, energy pouring from the jewel that adorned it. Light started to form in details usually unseen on the armor, a great torrent of energy erupting from the pawn as the Sacred gear seemed to evolve. It gained a second jewel on the forearm, spreading further up past Issei's elbow.

"Issei…" Rias muttered as she watched her pawn in awe.

"Amazing…" Kiba muttered, looking up at his fellow piece with admiration. Even Riser took a moment to observe Issei with a raised brow before scoffing.

"Was that display supposed to scare me? Even with that raise in power, you're still nothing before my flames." Riser finally spoke before glaring. "If you think you can deliver a punch strong enough to hurt me, I'd like to see it. Now come and stop wasting my time!"

"If that's what you want…" Issei huffed, smirking confidently down at the Phenex heir. "Then that's what I'll give you! Kiba! Use the strongest sword you've got! Whatever you think will be most effective in hurting this asshole!"

"You've got it!" Kiba agreed, making his previous sword fall apart before replacing it with a different blade, one much larger in mass than the previous. "You now face my greatest blade so far: Destruction Sword. I've been saving this for another enemy, but I'd say this situation definitely calls for my best. Because I can't let president down!"

"So you're both coming at me with your best?" Riser chuckled, shaking his head. "Fine then, do it! I'll beat you both at close quarters and make you beg for mercy!" He allowed his flames to focus into his hands.

" **Let's go!** " Both Issei and Kiba roared, charging at Riser at the same time. The Phenex heir held his ground, preparing to intercept both of them with his own fiery torrent of punches once they were close enough. Issei floated back down next to Kiba, pointing his crimson bracer forward as they approached their enemy. But at the last second, he shared a momentary glance with Kiba. Almost as if reading one another's thoughts, they nodded.

"Now!" The pawn allowed Kiba to take the lead, his Sacred Gear glowing with life once again as it powered up. **Transfer!** The bracer called out, pouring its energy into Kiba's blade and even causing it to enlarge.

"What?!" Riser recoiled, taken by surprise with the sudden switch up as Kiba sped forward, even if a bit slower than before due to the size of the blade he carried. At this moment, it meant little to him though, as they had caused Riser to drop his guard, if only for a moment.

"Take this! The power of Rias Gremory's servants!" Kiba cried out fiercely before slashing down Riser's chest, the energy suddenly releasing and blasting into the opposing king with great force. This time, the attack truly worked, causing Riser to cough up blood as he found himself falling backward, the blow actually knocking him off of his feet and hitting the roof flat on his back.

"How could they… cause me such pain…" He mumbled out before hitting the ground with a thud, sprawled out on the roof top.

Kiba took a moment to catch his breath, his blade quickly falling apart as the pressure of the attack finally took hold. Issei flew back down to his fellow piece, panting tiredly as he held himself up on his knees but grinning. "Did we… actually do it?"

Kiba looked back at Issei and laughed tiredly. "I… think we actually di-" The blond knight didn't get a chance to finish his statement, a torrent of flames blasting his body from behind. Kiba cried out in pain, falling forward toward Issei. The brunette grimaced, quickly attempting to catch the knight before he fell, only for the blond to disappear from the match.

" **Kiba!** " Issei cried out in utter pain, unable to hide the grief he felt at losing the knight so quickly.

"Yuuto, no!" Rias cried out in despair, the crimson haired Devil trembling as she realized her knight was taken out before she could do anything.

" _Rias' knight, retired."_

"To think that you lowly Devils would even **dare** to damage me like this…" Riser growled as he rose to his feet, cracking his neck and glaring dangerously at Issei now. "I'll enjoy ripping you apart for that." The wound on Riser's chest took it's time, but it finally healed as if nothing was there. Issei bit his bottom lip, taking a momentary step back in fear. He spared a glance back at Rias and Asia, seeing both their despair and vulnerability. He ground his teeth in anger, turning back to Riser and gripping his armored arm.

"Go ahead and try it. I won't waste Kiba's effort! I'll take you out!" Issei growled indignantly, taking a step forward to intercept Riser once more.

"Issei, no! You've used so much energy up to this point! You'll have nothing left to spare!" Rias pleaded, trying to get her pawn to back down.

"I don't care, president! I don't care if my body falls apart at this point, I'll win if it's the last thing I do! Everyone's put so much into this, I'd be ashamed if I couldn't give it my all!" Issei proclaimed, his Sacred Gear resonating with his emotions. "Because you're worth it to me! I'll do anything to make you happy!"

 **Boost!** The bracer roared once more before Issei started to rush toward Riser once more. _I can do this! I'll do it for everyone! But I'll especially do it for_ _ **you,**_ _president!_ Were his thoughts as he charged, ready to launch a punch directly at Riser's gut.

 **Rest.** With that word though, Issei felt his entire body drain in an instant. The energy he previously felt was now gone, and so was the remainder of his stamina. Just taking a step completely collapsed his body. He felt himself go limp, falling past Riser and rolling down the roof of the imitation school. Luckily he landed on the awning of the front entrance, landing flat on his stomach but barely able to remain on edge. "M-my body… it won't move…"

" **Issei!** " Rias and Asia cried out desperately, watching helplessly as the brunette struggled to even push off the ground.

"... Hehehe… hahahaha~!" Riser cackled from above him, the brunette barely able to look up as he floated down from the rooftop and landing on the awning next to him. "Well, isn't this just inconvenient for you? It looks like you've overused the power of your **Boosted Gear** , welp."

"S-so what…?" Issei huffed, finally pushing off his knees and forcing himself to stand. "I-I'm going to be… the strongest pawn and… kick your as-" He struggled out, only to cough up a puddle of blood. Rias covered her mouth to hold back a cry, unable to watch her pawn struggling so weakly.

"You just don't know when to accept defeat, do you boy?" Riser scoffed, slowly walking forward and kicking Issei square in the jaw. The brunette helplessly took the kick, but somehow remained on his feet. Seeing this, Riser narrowed his eyes before quickly kneeing Issei square in the gut.

"Riser, stop this!" Rias protested desperately, summoning her Power of Destruction and launching a black ball of energy at the opposing king. Riser merely let the attack blow off his arm before quickly regenerating it back without problem. "Issei, please! Let yourself fall! You can't take any more!"

"I-I won't…" Issei mumbled out as he was once again struck against the head by Riser, somehow remaining on his feet still. "As your pawn… I'll never give up… I'll keep fighting for you…"

"Issei, **please!** You'll die if this continues!" Rias begged further, trembling as tears started to build up in her eyes. "That's a direct order!"

"Issei, stop it! You're going to die!" Asia said this time, well past tears and weeping without control as she fell to her knees.

"You should learn to discipline your servants more, my love." Riser mocked with laughter, delivering another devastating punch to Issei's gut. "This sort of insolence toward a far superior Devil is what gets servants **killed!** " He held Issei in the air by his neck, the other arm in the air and forming another ball of flame that grew as each second went by.

"Pl-please, Riser! Don't do this! It's wrong!" Rias found herself pleading to her fiance.

"He's had enough! No more!" Asia cried out, unable to look away from the beaten mess that was Issei.

"Perhaps if your piece had not been so defiant of his defeat, I might have! But with all of his resistance, I've become rather infuriated." Riser dismissed with a wicked grin. "I think I'll take him out completely! It doesn't matter whether it's a Sacred Gear or a Stand, no amount of healing can fix you once I've completely incinerated your body, trash!"

In these final moments of Issei's life, Riser expected the pawn to beg for mercy or to give up the fight within him. Riser might have even let him live had he seen any sense of defeat in the boy. But much to his anger, Issei merely opened one of his bruised eyes and glared challengingly up at him, giving him one last look of defiance. He didn't speak, nor did he even move, but that one look of conviction spoke more words than anything Issei could have said.

 _I'm not giving in to you._

"Bastard! Die!" Riser roared in anger, the flames surging in his hand again.

"Riser, **no**!" Rias cried, flying forward. It wasn't too late to save Issei. There was one thing she could do, one thing she could say to save his life. She had to forfeit. She had to give this game up, or her precious servant would be destroyed. Finally, with her mind clear on her objective. She opened her mouth to speak those final words. "I for-"

" _Riser's rook, retired."_

Rias paused at the announcement, stopping mid flight as she heard the words above. Riser even stopped in his attack when he heard the same, his flames diminishing for a moment as he glanced back at Rias.

"Th-that bastard…" Issei finally muttered out, causing Riser to glance at him in question. "He's always… running late…"

"What?" Riser questioned. "What are you-" He paused when he suddenly felt a rumbling below him, and a loud, smothered voice from within the building approaching slowly. "What is that?"

 **...rarararara…**

"It's getting louder… what is-"

 **...RARARARARARARARARA…**

* * *

" **Shit**!" Josuke cursed as he was hurled across the main hall of the school building. Yukako was proving to be more difficult to deal with than he expected. The opposing Stand user's hair was not something he could simply punch out of his way. Whenever **Crazy Diamond** threw a fist into the mass of hair, it merely wrapped around it's arm and caught him like a net over a fish. This was far different than what Josuke was used to fighting so far. None of his enemies so far had been able to avoid a punch or even **touch** his Stand without consequence, much less netting it. All save for Okuyasu during their first encounter. He had no clear target to hit, save for Yukako herself. But she was smart, keeping him at a distance and deflecting what hits he threw with ease.

"Your Stand might be more powerful than mine, but mine makes a simple counter to it." Yukako declared icily, watching Josuke as he slowly recovered from his fall. The tall teen took several deep breaths, trying to come up with a strategy to deal with the Stand of hair. He was given little time to recover, however, as the strands lashed out once more. Josuke narrowly avoided getting caught, using his own Stand to quickly dodge with a dash. He jumped toward one of the pillars adorning the hall, putting his back to it as he waited for another onslaught.

"Just hold still and let me end this already." Yukako huffed, eyes narrowing as she prepared to attack.

"Not interested." Josuke retorted quickly, attempting to move as the tendrils approached. He stopped though, his scalp suddenly jerking upward. He let out a grunt of pain, confused at what was happening. He didn't have time to think about it, though, as Yukako's hair attempted to wrap around his body.

"Damn it! **Crazy Diamond!** " Josuke growled out as his Stand formed above him, chopping through the air above his head. As he suspected, he was freed from what held him in place, quickly dashing away from the approaching tendrils. Having missed the Stand user, the hair gripped around the pillar he once stood in front of, quickly crushing it under it's strength.

"You used your hair to latch to my scalp, didn't you?" Josuke analyzed, narrowing his eyes at Yukako. "You were able to pull me by my head to try and keep me from moving during your attack."

"That's correct. I can't control the hair in your head with as much strength, but it works to keep you in place for a bit, at least." Yukako confirmed as she prepared to unleash another wave of her hair. "But I find it doubtful that I'll be able to get you with it so easily, again. But I won't need to."

Josuke didn't wait for Yukako to say more, quickly dashing with his Stand again as **Love Deluxe** once again attempted to net him. Josuke had been fortunate enough to keep her hair off of him with **Crazy Diamond's** strength, ripping free or punching it to at least keep it at bay. _Damn it! I can't even damage her through her Stand!_ Josuke cursed as he hid behind another pillar, if only to take a moment to catch his breath. _I just need to get her in range, just once. But throwing something won't work well enough if she can just block it with all that hair._

Josuke quickly dived forward, anticipating Yukako's hair to attack just quick enough to avoid it once again.

 ***Pound***

 _Shit!_ Josuke gasped in pain, sliding on one knee to a stop. He quickly activated **Crazy Diamond's** repair ability, able to put the piece within him back in check.

"You're wide open." Yukako called out as her hair finally wrapped around Josuke's waist. He felt her Stand begin to squeeze and could barely struggle out a grunt of pain with the sudden tightness he felt. The pressure began to be too much and, much to Josuke's chagrin, he heard his ribs begin to crack. He cried out in pain finally, struggling to focus as he coughed up blood. "Just a little bit more and it'll be over. Don't worry." Yukako told him as her hold on him continued to crush down.

 _Sh-shit! She'a broke my ribs!_ Josuke panicked mentally before letting out a pained but furious roar. **Crazy Diamond** appeared again, quickly chopping through the hair and freeing him from it's hold. He fell to the ground with a grunt, landing on his knees and barely able to stay balanced on his hands. He panted in pain, sweat pouring down his brow as he struggled to stay focused.

" _Rias' knight, retired."_ He heard Grayfia's voice echo through the hall, causing the Stand user's eyes to widen in shock. _Kiba got eliminated. Shit. Things can't be going well up there…_

"You're done in this game. Just let me finish you." Yukako sighed, though she did not wait for his permission as her hair moved forward. "I heard your ribs break once I got a good hold on you. You're most likely going to bleed internally and have a punctured lung. It's useless to keep fighting."

"Maybe it is… to you…" Josuke strained to grunt out, lifting his head slowly to meet the opposing Stand user's eyes. "But I'm not fighting… for what I don't have… I'm fighting for what I want to keep…"

Yukako narrowed her eyes in annoyance, scoffing at his declaration. "My passion to find what I am missing surpasses your desire to keep what you have. And that's why you've lost." the girl retorted with a bit of venom in her voice. "Now begone." Without another word, Yukako's hair lashed out for one final attack.

Josuke watched **Love Deluxe** approach, gripping his hand in frustration. _I can't give up now. I can't…_ He mentally cursed, the blood from his mouth dripping down to the ground. His eyes fell to the small puddle and, almost instantly, an idea formed in his head. Josuke's eyes lit up before he smirked and looked back at the wave of hair. "Here goes nothing."

 **Crazy Diamond** formed into existence, its hand reaching below him and tracing its fingers through the blood. With a quick swipe forward, it launched the blood at blinding speeds, the droplets turning into small blades in the air.

Yukako's eyes widened in shock as the blood seemed to cut through her hair like butter. "Wh-what?!" she cried out as she held up her arms in hopes of blocking the attack. It cut up her forearms, but a single blade of blood made it's way past and created a cut up her face from the bottom of her cheek. Yukako cried out in pain, her hair retreating from Josuke as she fell flat on her back. She cupped her face in agony, muffled screams echoing from behind her hands.

Josuke took a moment to stand up, fighting through the pain as adrenaline helped him push through his splintered ribs. He basically limped over to where Yukako lay, watching her carefully. "Your Stand is pretty strong. Like you said, it makes a pretty good counter to mine with distance and how malleable it can be. Thankfully it's still just hair, so figuring out a way past it was easier than I originally thought." Yukako didn't say anything in answer, still wailing with pain into her palms. Josuke watched her twist for moment before sighing and turning away, deciding to leave her with that. He walked past the pillars of the front entrance, taking a deep breath as he looked up at the ceiling.

"It would take too long to run up the stairs and climb out the window. Guess I can jump from here and bust my way to the-" He muttered before he heard a low, venomous hiss.

"You…" Yukako muttered darkly, looking through her fingers that dripped with blood from her face. "You filthy **pig fucking, baby dick**!" her voice thundered through the hall, causing Josuke to widen his eyes in shock at her sudden change. She now radiated with fury, her eyes becoming dilated and filled with a black rage that displayed through her Stand as it lashed out at Josuke. The tall teen coughed out more blood as her hair tightened around his ribs once more. "You think your worthless friendship is **anything** compared to my desire for love?! It's barely rat shit in a bathroom by comparison to what I'm fighting for, you dickless bitch!"

"W-what the hell…?" Josuke breathlessly forced out, struggling against the hair. "I knew you were intense, but I didn't think you were this out of your mind…"

" **Shut the fuck up**!" Yukako cackled maniacally, tightening the hair harder around him. "You damaged both my beautiful hair and my flawless face! I don't give a shit about what happens to you now! I was only trying to make you pass out, but now I'm going to crush you until your head pops like balloon!" She spoke with a crazed look in her eyes

"Shi-shit… **Crazy Dia-** "

"Someone like you with such a **cow shit** hairdo doesn't have a right to mess with my beautiful hair!"

All pain Josuke seemed to be in suddenly vanished from his expression, not even struggling for breath now. Instead, a vein popped on his forehead. And he focused a near equal crazed glare at Yukako.

"... What the **fuck** did you just say?"

Yukako was taken back by his sudden change, ironically similar to Josuke's earlier reaction to her. But she wasn't given any time to react further, a pink aura surrounding the rubble from the pillars she had earlier crushed, the marble floating up before forming around her extended hair locks. "Wh-what?!"

 **DORA!** Josuke's Stand cut through the hair still wrapped around Josuke, the repaired stone completely forming around **Love Deluxe** and dragging it back to the pillar it once belonged to. Yukako was unable to move, her hair now completely merged with the marble and keeping her pinned down. Josuke slowly walked past the pillar, hands stuffed into his pockets and brow shaded by his hair.

"Y-you… you bastard… how dare you!" Yukako screeched out, feebly attempting to pull her hair free from the stone. "How fucking dare-"

 **DORA! Crazy Diamond** struck Yukako hard in the gut, knocking the wind out of her and making her fall to her knees in pain.

"That's **my fucking** line, bitch." Josuke growled darkly, glaring down at the defenseless Stand user. "I was going to let you off with the cut up face earlier, but now I think I'll bloody you to a damn pulp."

Yukako shuddered in fear, trembling as Josuke stooped Dangerously overhead. "W-wait… don't-" She started to beg before **Crazy Diamond** reared it's fist back for a strike. " **No~!** " She cried as the Stand swung its arm forward. Just before it could bash in her face, the punch stopped short, causing a small wave of air to hit Yukako harmlessly. The fear had been too much for her, the opposing Stand user croaking out a sound as her eyes rolled back into her head.

Josuke withdrew his Stand, watching as Yukako fell face first into the marble floor, completely out cold. He took a deep breath and turned away from the black haired girl, walking back to his previous place across the room. "Lucky for you, I've got bigger fish to fry." He muttered out, the pain from his broken ribs started to smart again. "Shit… this still hurts…" He limped forward in pain, hands reaching back into his pockets as he did so. He suddenly felt something inside, blinking in confusion. He pulled out a small crystal bottle, raising a brow.

"Oh, right. That Yubel chick had this." He mused to himself, gazing at it in wonder. He popped the top off, sniffing it only to fill his nose with some sort of sour smell. Josuke narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he thought back to when Yubelluna had pulled it out, but couldn't make out the words she spoke.

"I wonder… could this be for healing?" He muttered, holding it closer to his mouth. He wasn't quite sure what it was for, but knew that his ribs were in major pain. Fighting further like this was most likely a mistake. Who knows what laid in wait for him on the rooftop? He edged the bottle toward his mouth, taking a moment to consider drinking the potion in his hands.

Before finally capping it again.

"I can't drink this." He muttered tiredly, putting it back in his pocket. "For all I know, it's to help power up demonic energy or something like that. The piece is already freaking out as is." He sighed before shaking his head. "I'll just have to deal with it."

" _Riser's rook, retired."_

Josuke peered back at where Yukako was lying, relieved to see her disappear from the game as well as freeing her hair from the pillar. He quickly looked back up at the ceiling, humming in thought for a moment. "Now where did I hear the most noise at…?"

* * *

"Man, that chick was crazy…" Okuyasu muttered, but seemed to relax a bit and take a deep breath. "But at least Josuke was able to beat her in the end."

"Perhaps, but he's still got another fight ahead of him." Jotaro reasoned, watching the screens carefully. "With the injuries he received from Yukako Yamagishi, he might not have much left to keep fighting with."

"Come on, Jotaro-san! All he has to do is get that bastard within his range and it'll be over like nothin'!"

"Riser is an immortal from the Phenex clan, their family name befitting of their powers." Sona pointed out this time, pushing her glasses up as she spoke. "While Josuke might be able to harm him, it will take more than a few punches to finish off someone of that regenerative power."

* * *

 **-RARARARARARARARARARARA!** The roof between Riser and Issei exploded upward, causing the Phenex heir to release the brunette in shock. "What is thi-"

 **(JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OST: Decisive battle)**

 **DORA!** A bubblegum pink and silver fist shot out from the new hole, landing square in Riser's jaw and causing him to bleed from the nose. The opposing king staggered back from the hole, holding his face in pain. Finally flying upward and coming into focus was Josuke, a sly and confident grin on his face.

"Just **great.** Looks like I'm right where I need to be!" Josuke laughed as he landed feet first on the roof. He fell to one knee and kept himself supported with one arm as he felt his ribs pulse with pain, but didn't let it show on his face. Right now, his main focus was on the enemy before him.

" **Josuke**!" Asia and Rias cried out in relief, tears streaming down their cheeks once they saw the Stand user arrive.

"I guess I was wrong…" Issei coughed out painfully, weakly smiling up at Josuke from behind him. "You're actually right on time…"

"Looks like it. Need some healing?" Josuke offered, reaching out with his Stand to fix his best friend.

"You…" Riser muttered out, wiping his nose of blood. _Th-that actually hurt. What kind of power was that from just one punch?_ Riser grinded his teeth in frustration, glaring down at Josuke as fire once again surrounded him. "I'll turn you to ashes for that!" He roared, flying forward to strike the human with a flame covered fist. Josuke only glanced sideways at Riser, **Crazy Diamond** halting his healing as it quickly engaged the Devil.

 **DORARARARARA~!** Before Riser could even react or see coming, the Stand slammed its fist into his jaw before hitting his body with a powerful barrage. Riser couldn't believe the utter power and speed raining down upon him. He couldn't take much more of it, spreading his fiery wings and quickly using them to blow himself backward and away from the human and getting five meters of room between them. Josuke clicked his tongue in annoyance, not bothering to move from his spot.

"What's wrong? I thought you were going to burn me to a crisp." Josuke mocked. Despite the confidence in his voice, Rias and Issei could see the sweat dripping down his face and the evident pain he was in just from moving ever so slightly.

"J-Josuke, are you…" Issei groaned, attempting to push himself up before Josuke held up a hand.

"I'm gonna need your help. Let me heal you." Josuke quietly told him, reaching out with **Crazy Diamond** again.

"I don't need to be anywhere near you to do that." Riser scoffed, a ball of fire forming in his hand. It took some time for them to heal, but soon the dents and bruises from Josuke's previous onslaught recovered without a mark left. "I'll turn you into nothing from here!" Josuke ground his teeth in fear, glancing back at Issei and quickly picking him up with his Stand.

"Rias! **Catch**!" He ordered the redhead as loud as he could, paying no heed to Issei's protests as he was lifted into the air. "Asia! Heal him!"

"Wa-wait a sec, Josu- **ke!** " Issei blanched as he was launched through the air by the Stand. Rias blinked in shock for a moment before quickly reaching her arms out and catching Issei before he could fall. Seeing that the brunette was out of danger, Josuke quickly ordered his Stand forward.

 **DORARARARARARA~! Crazy Diamond** dispersed the oncoming flames as much as it could, the fire dividing into an arc and passing Josuke by without any direct contact. Despite no real physical harm, the Stand user was forced to cover his face as the heat intensified around him.

"J-Josuke's hurt. Really bad." Issei told his master, weakly trying to escape her hold. "I-I have to help…"

"I can tell he is, but you can't. Not like this. You need to heal." Rias told him quietly, flying him away from the current fight and toward Asia. "Quickly, Asia. Heal him with all your power!"

"O-of course!" Asia quickly nodded, rushing up to the brunette and activating her Sacred Gear. "Josuke-nii can hold out for a little bit! Just believe in him!"

Issei bit his bottom lip anxiously, giving no answer to the blonde as he turned back to watch as Riser finally ceased his attack, floating higher in the air as he looked down upon Josuke.

"Was that it? I was expecting a little bit more after all that strutting around you did like you were some hot shit." Josuke goaded further as he forced himself to stand. His ribs started to smart with pain once more, but he forced a smile on his face. _I need to get him back in range. I got too distracted and couldn't do what I had planned._

Riser visibly steamed at Josuke's mocking, flame forming in his palm once more as he prepared to throw another ball directly at the tall teen. He suddenly stopped himself, eyes narrowing and more thoroughly analyzing Josuke. The Phenex heir lowered his arm for a moment before slowly smiling in realization, a slow curdled laugh rising out of his throat. "You're quite the showman aren't you, human?" he exclaimed, fire swirling in his hand again. "You took quite a bit of damage from your previous fight. More than you're willing to show."

 _Shit._ "Why don't you come over here and find out?" Josuke growled, daring to take a step forward and ignore the pain in his ribs. Riser only chuckled, shaking his head as he tossed the ball of flame up and down in his hand like a baseball.

"It's the frailty of humans that truly make them so inferior." Riser further taunted a twisted grin etched across his lips. "You could just fall a bit too hard and hit your head, ending your life. It's just as simple as… losing your footing."

Josuke raised a brow before cursing as he realized the Phenex heir's plan, overlapping his legs with **Crazy Diamond's.** Riser cackled as he launched the ball of flame down at the roof itself, the scaffolding igniting into a glorious blaze all across the front awning. Josuke quickly jumped backward, trying to get better footing on the main roof top. He couldn't stop the grunt of pain from escaping, blood spilling out of his mouth as he jumped into the air. He landed on the center some ways away from the rest of his team, quickly falling to one knee and breathing raggedly.

"Josuke-kun!" Rias called out, tempted to fly out and support the tall teen.

"Stay back!" Josuke ordered fiercely, causing the crimson haired Devil to flinch. "Keep protecting Issei… once he's fully healed, help me out…"

"Josuke-kun…" Rias muttered again, glancing back at Asia and her pawn. The bishop of her peerage continued her focus on Issei's wounds, the damage he had taken starting to repair bit by bit. The problem was that Asia had spent much of her own power helping Rias at the beginning, and now she was pushing past her own limits to keep healing the brunette. Issei could only watch helplessly, the slow improvement of his body no comfort as he watched Josuke struggle to stand, let alone fight.

"This truly is a worthy moment to have with you, human." Riser laughed, slowly floating further down the roof across from the tall teen, his arms crossed triumphantly. "You had made so much trouble over this game. I'm sure it agonized you until the end whether or not you could fight. And for what? To be stomped out with the rest of Rias' pathetic servants?" He made no effort to stop the malicious laugh from escaping his lips, closing his eyes as he shook his head. When he opened them back up, though, he widened them as he saw small sickles of blood shoot at him. He clicked his tongue and deflected the majority of them with his hand, but just one slipped by and cut his left cheek, causing him to grunt out in annoyance.

"I'm getting real tired of these big speeches in the middle of a fight." Josuke huffed out, a taunting smirk on his face. "Especially from a guy who's too scared to even come up close. You're not making me feel very inferior, right now. I mean think about it. A human just hit your face with his own blood. And the same human made you fall back after you got an ass kicking up close." Josuke further taunted, grinning at this point. "Must be pretty embarrassing for someone who's supposed to be a Phoenix."

Riser had felt no greater fury from an insult before. Each word that came from Josuke's mouth added to his internal flame, his visage of collected confidence breaking from sheer fury. Not when Rias rejected him. Not when her Knight dealt him a blow to the chest. Not when her pawn refused to fall. No, this lone human had given him a much greater insult than any before him. Josuke's words assaulted his pride far more than all of his past suffering in life. And there was only one way for Riser to fix it.

"Die, human." Riser finally muttered out, spreading his fiery wings again and flying up into the air. A flame formed once again in his hand, charging up until it became much larger. " **Die!** " That small yet simple exclamation was enough to convey his feelings, Josuke sweating as the Phenex heir swung the ball of flame at the Stand user. **Crazy Diamond** appeared and diverted the flames with another barrage of punches, but also spreading the fire across the rooftop and making it fairly difficult to see and breath for Josuke as the rest of the roof became enflamed. He coughed up a mixture of air and blood, struggling to find his target up above. Rias had formed a small barrier with her magic, protecting her and her two servants from harm, but was unable to provide the same protection for Josuke.

"Josuke-kun, fall back to me! I can protect you for a little at least!" Rias ordered the tall teen who glanced back in thought. The smoke was still climbing and the path to them riddled in fire. He could try and make his way back, but with the rage that Josuke had put Riser through, he doubted Rias could hold him off for long.

Finally, with little other options available to him while remaining on the roof, Josuke finally spotted out his opponent in the air and overlapped his Stand's legs with his own. _This will be my last chance! I have to end this now!_ Josuke was launched skyward, kicking off the roof and rocketing toward Riser. _I just need to hit him once in the chest and it'll be over!_

"I'll knock you back into the flames and watch you burn!" Riser roared as he made no move to avoid Josuke, speeding forward as fire surrounded him like a meteor entering the atmosphere. **Crazy Diamond** materialized ahead of Josuke, rearing it's fist back and roaring as it launched a punch, meeting Riser's and creating a powerful shockwave in the process.

 **DO~RA~!** The Stand cried out as it battled Riser in a test of strength, pushing through the flaming fist as hard as possible. _Come on, do it! Push through! Just one hit on his chest!_ Josuke let out his own roar of force, putting forth all mental strength and will into breaking through the exchange. He ignored the blood choking his throat and the ribs still crushing against his lungs. Finally, with a burst of Josuke's final bit of remaining energy, **Crazy Diamond** busted Riser's fist and caused him to let out a pained cry. The Stand then began to rear it's free fist for one final hit, hoping to put this fight to an-

 ***Pound***

Josuke buckled over in the air, blood escaping his mouth. _Sh-shit. Why now?!_ Josuke felt the piece once again start to release the demonic energy, his chest filling with a painful pounding. Finally, with all of his energy spent in the final assault, the pain he was forcing back since the beginning of the clash started to hit him like a wave of water in the ocean, his body nearly going into shock as he started to fall toward the roof top with no sign of slowing.

" **Josuke!** " Issei, Rias, and Asia cried out in desperately. Rias attempted to fly forward to catch the Stand user, only for Riser's flames to rise forward and prevent her from moving fast enough. Josuke hit the roof back first, bouncing against the shingles and rolling down the roof. **Crazy Diamond** wrapped it's arms around the Stand user in one last attempt to protect him, keeping the remaining flames on the roof from burning him. It had repaired the piece within Josuke back to normal, but it was too little too late at this point. Josuke was barely able to move.

His final protective instinct was the last thing that saved him, grabbing onto a piece of roofing before he could roll off the edge of the roof. He was barely able to use the last of his strength to keep himself from falling off. His breath came out labored, blood pouring out the edge of his mouth. Issei could feel his chest crushing inside, summoning his Sacred Gear and attempting to rush forward.

"I have to help him!" Issei pleaded, stopping as Rias stepped in front of him. He was about to protest, but quickly saw the reason why she did so as a ball of flame rocketed toward them. Rias quickly used her magic to block the attack, straining against the force. "You bastard!" He cried out, gripping his fist as the Phenex heir grinned maliciously.

"It seems the human's luck has finally run out. I'll incinerate him first before I move onto all of you." Riser laughed, spying Josuke below and watching as he struggled just to keep in place. "Blame your own incompetence and weakness for being able to do nothing!"

"No!" Rias cried out, launching her energy once again and blasting off Riser's arm. He only grinned as he reformed it, making another ball of flame in his hand.

Issei trembled in despair, falling to his knees as he looked back down at Josuke who was desperately clinging to consciousness. _I'm weak. I'm so weak…_ He feebly thought, hunching over and gripping his head. _I keep relying on Josuke, and look at him now. He's going to die if I don't try! But I can't do anything! Why do I have to be so_ _ **weak!**_ Tears began to form in his eyes, threatening to stream down his cheeks. He could hear Asia behind him, gently grabbing his shoulders, but her words fell on deaf ears. All he could hear was her weeping, the former nun trembling just as much as he was. Just another reminder of his weakness, to be unable to keep Asia smiling.

 _Do you want more strength?_

Issei blinked as he heard a deep, but faintly familiar, voice. It didn't sound like someone near him, it was almost as if it were in his mind. He soon noticed that his bracer was glowing with energy, looking down at the jewel adorning it.

"D-dragon?" Issei muttered, widening his eyes as the jewel illuminated more.

 _When you pleaded to me with your emotions, our connection to one another strengthened._ The rumbling voice of the apparent Dragon within his arm spoke. _You're lucky that your friends were able to give you time to heal. Otherwise your body wouldn't be able to take it. But now you have another chance to fight. I'm impressed with your resolve. So I'll give you more energy if that's what you desire._

"Y-you can?" Issei cried out, hope building within him. "D-do it! I need-"

 _Not so fast, boy. There will be a price to pay for my power. I don't doubt that you'll accept, either way._

"Fight me!" Rias fiercely roared out, doing her best to get Riser's attention to her now. Much to her chagrin, her attacks only passed through his body harmlessly. The only trouble Riser had was that she was making it difficult to charge up an attack to blow Josuke away with.

"You care too much about the servants and the human around you, my love." Riser sighed with a smirk. "They truly are your weakness. In the game of chess, you must be willing to sacrifice pieces for success. Someone who is too afraid to lose one piece will end up losing them all. First your pawn, and now with your pathetic temporary knight." Riser looked back down at Josuke, who could only glare up at the Phenex heir defiantly. "It's time you learned to separate from certain connections."

" **No**!" Rias practically begged. Once again, the thought of giving up crossed her mind. Josuke had sacrificed so much in this game to come this far, and it made her happy to have a friend that loyal by her side. She wouldn't lose him to this. But before she could throw in the towel, one ray of hope shined again. Green energy illuminated the air and caused Riser and Rias to feel a powerful wave wash over them. They turned to look at this new source.

Who was none other than Issei.

"I-Issei-san?" Asia muttered, watching the boy in awe as he stepped forward, dripping with confidence.

"You're not going to hurt anyone else, Riser." Issei proclaimed, holding his crimson bracer up and pointing at the Phenex heir. "You're done. You won't hurt president, and you won't hurt Josuke. I'm going to **end** you, now."

"I-Issei…" Rias muttered, allowing her pawn to walk past her.

"Issei… don't push yourself…" Josuke called out, weakly bringing his other arm around in an attempt to climb up the roof.

Riser raised a brow, taken back by his sudden wave of power and recovery, but only began to cackle. "You again? And here I thought Rias had something else up her sleeve that she was saving. How annoying. You all keep coming one after another." He sighed, turning back to Issei and spreading his fiery wings. "Don't make me laugh with your pathetic excuse for power."

"I'm feeling a lot more confident in my power, now." Issei dismissed, smirking as he held his fist forward. "It's going to cost me quite a bit, but it'll be worth it to pound your head into the ground. In just **ten seconds**."

"What?" Riser muttered in annoyance, but was forced to wince his eyes as Issei's bracer shined brighter once more, the brunette holding it up and gripping his fist.

"Let's do this! For both Rias and Josuke, I'm going to take you down! Glow, **Over Boost**!" He jumped into the air and red energy exploded from the jewel. **Welsh Dragon, Over Booster!** Rias, Asia, and Josuke's eyes widened in complete shock as the radiating energy started to form armor all over Issei's body. The armor matched his crimson bracer, green jewels and dragon-like traits forming across his arms, chest and legs. Even a tail of armor appeared behind him, and replacing his bat wings were dragon mail boosters. "Now bring it!"

"What the hell…?" Josuke muttered out in amazement, giving a weak smile as he watched his best friend step forward. "You actually look pretty cool right now…"

"Balance breaker?" Rias muttered as she watched the armored wings shoot out green flames, speeding him forward like a jet at Riser Phenex. The opposing king widened his eyes at the speed he approached at, barely reacting fast enough to dodge the charge and flying into the woods past the school building.

"He activated that forbidden magic?" Riser cursed, glaring at where Issei crashed. "He shouldn't even be able to take that kind of energy!"

"I'm up here!" Riser suddenly heard above him, eyes darting up to see Issei coming down with a cocked fist. The Phenex was unable to dodge this time, taking a straight punch to the jaw. The power was greater than he was expecting, blood spilling from his jaw. He quickly retorted though, grinding his teeth as he lashed back with his own fist covered in flame.

Issei let out a grunt of pain from the direct hit, fire exploding between them on impact and launching him into the air. The armor cracked under the pressure, but held regardless. "Man, he really is strong, even with this armor. I'd be dead otherwise…"

 **Nine!** The bracer announced, the jewel on his arm glowing.

"How the hell did you come up with this kind of power out of nowhere?!" Riser hissed in frustration, gripping his fist in anger. "You wouldn't be able to access such power alone!"

"You're right, I couldn't." Issei admitted, making the armor around his head dissipate for a moment to meet Riser's eyes. "I had to speak with the dragon within me. He's the one who gave me this power."

"He was able to converse with the Dragon Emperor?" Rias muttered in shock. "But that would mean…"

"To gain this power, I had to give up something to him. So I gave my arm." Issei declared without regret, holding up his left arm where his original brace was usually formed. "This arm now belongs to the dragon in me."

 **Eight!**

"Wh-what?!" Riser exclaimed, dumbfounded by this claim. Rias on the other hand inhaled a breath in shock, a tear streaming down her face."You fool! Your arm will forever be deformed now! You'll never get it back from that dragon!"

"I don't care!" Issei roared, powering up his next attack as he slammed both fists together and began to form a red ball of energy between his gauntlets. "It was a small price to pay for Rias and Josuke's sake! I won't see Rias sad and let you have her! I won't let Josuke suffer alone, fighting all those battles! He's my brother, and Rias is my precious president! I won't **let you have her!** "

 **Seven!**

"Issei…" Rias muttered in admiration, her cheeks heating up as she watched her pawn. "You gave up so much… for me…" She trembled with a mixture of sorrow for his loss, but joy at his powerful proclamation.

Issei released a powerful battle cry, releasing the red ball of energy and shooting it at Riser. The Phenex heir dodged once again, watching as it passed him by and exploded powerfully in one of the surrounding buildings and destroying it completely.

 **Six!**

"I can't believe that you were given this much power…" Riser growled before turning back to engage Issei again only to find that Issei was already in front of him, roaring ferociously and lashing out with a punch. Riser quickly threw his own, the two striking one another across the jaw. Issei spit up some blood through his armored helmet while Riser was able to recover somewhat.

 **Five!**

"Not bad, but not enough!" Riser declared, grabbing his arm and swinging him around. Issei didn't allow himself to be thrown without a fight, using his free arm and striking Riser dead in the gut. Riser blanched in pain before growling. "Bastard!" He roared, tossing the crimson armored devil hard into the bell tower of the school and knocking the top off completely. Issei was sprawled out in the wreckage, trying to push himself up.

 **Four!**

"You… you're just a monster right now…" Riser huffed out , floating back down to the center of the roof and holding his gut where he was hit. "Without that Sacred Gear, you'd be nothing! Once you've run out of power, it's over for you! Even with that dragon's power, you're nothing!" He cackled triumphantly, watching Issei carefully for his next move.

"Brother! Watch out behind you!" The Phenex heir suddenly heard his sister from above, glancing up at her.

"Ravel? Weren't you helping take care of the que-"

"He's wrong, Issei. You really are amazing." He suddenly heard from behind him, freezing completely. He peered behind to see that Josuke was standing there, his eyes shaded by his hair and visibly trembled with pain. Despite this, the Stand user stood tall and proud, breath ragged but unmoving from his spot as he now stared down the Phenex heir. "There's no way I could have won."

Riser quickly turned around, attempting to strike at Josuke with all his might and finish off the Stand user before he could make a move.

 **DORA!**

 **(JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OST: Breakdown)**

But not fast enough.

 **Crazy Diamond** landed a single, powerful punch to Riser at the center of his chest, knocking the air right out of him and making him skid backward against the ground, gasping for air. For a moment, Riser caught his breath and watched Josuke with a raised brow, thinking that he might try to follow up with another attack. The tall teen only stood there, watching him passively as blood dripped down his cheek. Riser slowly started to grin, a boisterous laugh escaping his mouth.

"You've wasted your chance to land any more hits like that, human!" Riser mocked, his flaming wings spreading across his back. "The pain you're currently in must be far too much if all you could land was-"

 ***Pound***

Riser suddenly felt a powerful force within him burn within his chest, gripping it in pain before falling to his knees. "Wh-what?! What is this… pain…" Riser panted out, unable to understand what was happening to his body before looking up at Josuke with rage. "What did you do to-ack!" He suddenly spit up blood, unable to finish his sentence.

"Take a look at your chest. The indentation is still there." Josuke told him, pointing at the center of Riser's chest. The Phenex heir peered down at his bare chest, widening his eyes in shock when he saw a small mark at the center. It was the shape of a cross.

"Wh-what?!" Riser blanched, scratching at his chest furiously. "Wha-what the hell did you do to me?!" The pain continued to surge through his body, hunching over in pain as he was unable to fight against or regenerate from this terrible agony he was experiencing.

"Don't bother trying to fix it, it won't work." Josuke declared firmly, slowly limping over to Riser and using his Stand to pick him up by the shoulder and hold him in the air. "I merged the cross Asia gave me with your chest. I figured that such a small piece of a holy object wouldn't do too much damage to you just with direct contact, so I made sure to dig it deep enough into your chest that it should be around your heart."

"H-how could you… do this to me…" Riser weakly spoke, blood spilling out of his mouth. "You… you bastard…"

"Don't worry, I'm going to take the cross out." Josuke declared, though his eyes showed no sympathy for Riser's pain. "It was a precious gift I received from my little sister, after all. But not until after we end this game."

"S-shit… I…" Riser struggled out, attempting to flare his energy and flames. The holy object within him prevented it, though, keeping his powers in check until finally his fire died down. "I won't… give into some pathetic…human..."

"Wow, even while you're helpless, you're not giving up." Josuke hummed before smirking up at the Phenex heir. "I'm a bit impressed. But I'm also a bit happy. Because that means we'll get to finish you off, after all." He then peered past Riser and grinned wider. "Hey, Issei! You still got some time left in that armor of yours?"

"Wh-what?" Riser muttered, turning his head slowly back to see Issei rising from the wreckage and flexing his energy.

 **Three!**

"Damn straight I do! Three seconds of usage left!" Issei declared, gripping his gauntlets tightly. "You up for one final attack on this asshole?"

"Damn straight I am." Josuke grinned before turning back to Riser and bringing his hands together, cracking his knuckles. "Now then, let's make this **great**."

Riser visibly trembled, watching as **Crazy Diamond** raised it's free arm and slowly formed a fist finger by finger. Behind him, he could hear the **Boosted Gear** wielder barreling forward with a roar. Riser began to whimper, shaking in fear and weakly waving his hands up in surrender. "W-w-wait! Think about what you're doing to the Devil community by-"

 **DORA!** The Stand quickly rocked his jaw with a punch, shutting him up before releasing him from it's grip on his shoulder, rearing both arms back as Issei finally approached, arms cocked back in a similar position.

And then they both struck, unleashing an unrelenting barrage of fists all at once on Riser. He thought he was in pain before. But he had yet to learn the meaning of pain.

 **DORARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARAARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARA-**

 **OPPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPA-**

 **Two!**

 **RARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARAARARARARARARARA** **RARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARA** **-**

 **PAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPA** **PAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPA** **-**

 **One!**

 **RARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARAARARARARARARARA** **RARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARA** **~!**

 **PAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPA** **PAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPAPA** **~!**

 **Crazy Diamond** and the armored up Issei cocked their arms back for one last, powerful blow on the now battered, broken, and unconscious Riser, his eyes rolled back as his entire body was now cruelly bent. **DORA!/OPPAI!** They slammed their fists together directly under Riser's chin and launched him high into the air, the only signal of his life still intact being the wail of pain he released as he flew through the air.

"Brother!" Ravel cried out in despair, quickly flying up and catching her utterly destroyed brother before he could fall back to the ground.

 **Count off!** The bracer announced at last, all of Issei's armor falling from his body and causing him to pant tiredly. Josuke supported himself on his knees, panting for breath for a moment before looking up at Issei and giving a tired grin. Issei returned the same, both nodding with an unspoken agreement. Issei and Josuke forced themselves to stand up straight, weakly raising their arms and pointing up at Riser and Ravel, the latter recoiling a bit in fear.

" **Remember our names!** " They proclaimed together, sharing a triumphant grin before chuckling. A moment later, the two fell back from one another, hitting the ground painfully. Despite this, the two couldn't help but laugh with joy, sprawling out on the ground despite their injuries as a single announcement sounded through the air, filling Rias with complete bliss and warmth.

" **Set and Match. Riser Phenex, retired."**

* * *

The broadcasting room was silent for a long moment, the spectators almost unbelieving of what they had just been witness to. After another second, Okuyasu jumped from his chair with his arms raised up high.

" **They did it!** " He cried out as tears of joy poured down his eyes as he acted on instinct, reaching over and hugging Sona. The Devil blinked in surprise before the Stand user finally released her and coughed. "S-sorry, got excited… But they fuckin' won!"

"I-it's fine." Sona giggled uneasily, readjusting her glasses before looking up at the screens with a content smile. "It was quite an amazing match. It seems Rias has been freed from her marriage."

"Yare yare daze. I hate to admit it, but they gave me a couple scares during that game." Jotaro chuckled quietly, tilting his hat down with his eyes closed as a small smile graced his lips. "But looks like they pulled through just fine. For a disgusting pervert, that Issei is pretty reliable."

* * *

"To think that both the Stand user and the **Boosted Gear** wielder would show us such amazing power…" Sirzechs smiled, fairly impressed by everything he had witnessed. "Incredible…"

"You know that your father and Phenex-sama will not be quite so pleased with this result." Grayfia suggested, looking back at her husband as she left their current broadcast to stand by him. Despite this, she couldn't hide her own small smile.

"I'll be sure to smooth things over with them when we get the chance." Sirzechs chuckled, looking back up at the screens at the two boys still lying on the ground. "For now, I think I'll enjoy this moment for a bit longer."

All was quiet in Myrcella's viewing room, both her and her peerage were stunned by the result of the game they had witnessed. Myrcella quickly waved her hand and cut off the broadcast, turning the lights back on with the snap of her fingers. She then looked at Malia, the green haired Devil quickly sitting up in attention. "Malia. Take note of the power of the Sacred Gear user."

"Y-yes, master." Malia nodded quickly, standing up from her seat.

"Looks like we've got more problems than we suspected to deal with than just Josuke and Rias." Her queen suddenly said, strumming his guitar rather slowly as he spoke. "We're going to need more time before we strike."

"I agree." Myrcella sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I think I underestimated the pervert quite a bit. I didn't think he'd be able to develop his strength like this."

"Perhaps waiting isn't the best option." Saizo suddenly spoke quietly, causing Myrcella to raise a brow and turn to him. "Perhaps taking them out bit by bit will be the answer. I'd hate for them to use this time to get stronger too, as much trouble as it all is." He admitted, his words coming out more confident and analytic than before. Myrcella shared a look with her queen before turning back to Saizo.

"What did you have in mind?"

* * *

Josuke and Issei didn't bother to look at one another, both keeping their sights on the sky above as they lay there, unmoving. "Good fight out there. You actually looked pretty cool." Josuke laughed with a bit of strain.

"Hey, we watch out for each other. Just like we always have." Issei chuckled, weakly holding his fist up. Josuke did the same, the two doing the air equivalent of a fist bump before letting their arms fall to their sides.

"Hey…"

"Yeah, Josuke?"

"... Did you shout 'Oppai' when we were doing our attack?"

"Like it? I figured since you had a cool Stand roar or whatever, I'd do the same for my attack!"

"... You're so lame."

Rias and Asia quickly rushed to Issei and Josuke's side, the red head kneeling next to Issei while Asia stooped over the tall teen.

"Don't worry, I'll heal you now." Asia told the Stand user, giving a very tearful smile down at him as she sniffled. "You guys were so amazing."

"Hey, hey. If you think that, then don't cry." Josuke weakly chuckled, grinning up at the blonde. "But please do. I'm in a lot of pain right now…" he admitted, making no move to get up as he allowed Asia's power to flow over his body.

"You two did it…" Rias muttered, unable to hold back the mist in her eyes as she trembled with joy, looking between them for a moment. "You really, really did it. I… thank you…"

"No problem." Josuke gave a weak thumbs up, satisfied with a large goofy grin.

"Of course. You know that I'd do anything for you, president." Issei chuckled out weakly, forcing himself to sit up a bit so that he could be eye level with her. Rias wiped her eyes of any further tears, unable to stop from sniffling.

"You know… just because you two broke this engagement, doesn't mean there won't be another one made for me eventually." Rias told them quietly. "We might have to do this all over again."

"I figured something like that…" Issei sheepishly chuckled, looking down at his now permanently deformed arm. "But hey, that's what I've got the rest of my body for, right? Maybe next time I'll give the dragon a leg or an eye…" Issei suggested, holding his chin in thought. "But maybe I'll just do it in order. Because no matter what, I'll keep fighting for you. I'll keep doing this over and over again if I have to. So don't worry about it too much, president." He reassured his master. Rias felt her breath hitched. It was at that moment that her heart had decided on something very precious to her. Something she would never give up from now on and forever.

Rias silently stood up, walking over to Josuke who blinked as she approached. The tall teen sat up with Asia's help. Issei watched her in wonder, as he couldn't read the reaction that his president had given him very well. "What's up?" Josuke asked, slowly rubbing the back of his head.

Rias knelt down next to him and gave a small, gentle kiss on his left cheek, causing both Asia and Issei to blanch in shock. Josuke widened his eyes for a moment, but felt something about the kiss that the others might not have understood by watching: it wasn't **that** kind of kiss.

"Thank you, Josuke. For everything you've done for me today." Rias said quietly, giving a compassionate smile to the tall teen. Josuke could only grin back.

"You know I've always got your back, prez." He declared, leaning back again before looking at Asia. "Please keep healing, Asia-chan. I'm pretty hurt over here." He laughed sheepishly, but his tone conveyed his pain.

"Ri-right! Sorry, Josuke-nii." Asia clumsily spoke, quickly holding up her hands and beginning to heal him again. Issei glanced over at his best friend with a mix of jealousy and sadness, ultimately sighing in defeat.

 _I shouldn't be feeling like this. I should be happy for them._ He berated himself, shaking his head of the emotions. _Josuke's the best guy she could have. I'll support them._ "President, I-" Issei began once he looked up, only to find that Rias was far closer than he realized.

And without warning, she placed a passionate yet gentle kiss on his lips.

Josuke and Asia dropped their jaws in complete shock, the healing Devil's arms going limp for a moment as the kiss continued longer than she would have liked. **Much** longer. In fact, she didn't like it at all.

Issei, however, was going through a whirl of emotions all at once, feeling happy, confused, shocked and other more complicated feelings. In the end, one stood out more than the rest:

overjoyed.

Finally, Rias released him from the lip lock, her cheeks a shade of red close to her own hair, still smiling down at her servant. "That is my thanks to you, my cute servant. You have now taken my first true kiss."

Issei sputtered out a mass of sounds, still trying to understand what Rias had just done. "Yo-your f-first?! A-are you o-okay that it was me?" he couldn't help but ask, no less appreciative of it either way.

"Of course. You did something deserving of such a reward." Rias answered easily, reaching up and holding his cheek. Josuke suddenly burst out with laughter, grinning at the two happily.

"Ain't that just **great**?" He said once his laughter finally died down, eyes drifting a bit before grimacing once he saw Asia. The blonde was obvious in her jealousy, tears at the edge of her eyes and her cheeks puffed up as her sniffling was now more sad than happy as before. "A-ah! I-I didn't mean it like that, Asia-chan!" He apologized quickly, suddenly feeling bad for her.

"I-I can't believe president did that…" Asia mumbled to herself before shaking her head, quickly standing up and rushing over to the two. "I don't want to get left behind!" She exclaimed, quickly jumping over and hugging the weak Issei.

"O-oi, Asia-chan! I'm not fully… healed…" Josuke trailed off, a bead of sweat rolling down the back of his head. He finally released a sigh and forced himself to stand. While he was still injured, his ribs and internal damage had been repaired at the least. "Just great…" He muttered as he looked down at his chest. The Temporary Piece was now ejecting from him, becoming transparent for a moment as it phased through his chest. Josuke held his hand out and caught the piece as it became physical once more and dropped into his hand.

"You were a whole lot of trouble, you know?" Josuke muttered, holding it up to his face to look at it. Without warning though, the piece suddenly disintegrated in his palm, causing his jaw to slack in shock. "Oh, shit… guess I won't be using that thing again…" He muttered, rubbing the back of his head. He glanced back at the now frantic love triangle behind him, smiling in relief before turning away. "Whatever. It worked for when I needed it, at least."

"Rias was right. You two were incredible." He heard from above, looking up to see Akeno floating down to him with a gentle smile. "You really pushed through a lot."

"We did what we had to." Josuke shrugged modestly before offering an appreciative grin. "Thanks for getting me up the roof. I was having a lot of trouble just climbing back up."

"It was the least I could do~! I admit that once that girl Ravel appeared, she directed her knights and Bishop well enough to keep me from joining much sooner. I wanted to help you both finish him off, but you told me to stay back." Akeno giggled, offering an admiring smile. "But it was worth it to see you do that amazing finisher."

"Glad you enjoyed it. I was hoping it'd be pretty flashy in the end, too." He chuckled half jokingly, the queen giggling with him.

"Brother, get it together! Why aren't you recovering?!" The two heard past Akeno. Josuke peered past the queen, looking to see Ravel sitting on the roof not far from them with Riser's head in her lap. His physical wounds seemed to be all healed, but he did not seem to be waking up. Josuke released a sigh, gently patting Akeno on the shoulder as he limped past her. The queen watched him curiously as he approached the Phenex siblings.

"Hey." Josuke called out to Ravel, the bishop whipping her head around in fear as she saw him.

"P-please, leave him alone! He's had enough!" Ravel pleaded, curling her brother's head in her lap protectively. "He-he's not waking up even though he's healed! I don't understand!" She cried out, water threatening to escape her eyes. Josuke's hair shaded his eyes as he slowly knelt down next to her.

"Wait, don-" Ravel pleaded, but stopped once she saw a pink aura surround her brother. From his chest, the small cross floated up in the air before Josuke grabbed it. He slowly stood back up, pain evident in his movements as he did so. Riser started to convulse, eyes darting open as he started to pant for air. "Big brother!" She smiled, hugging his head tightly. Josuke turned to leave the two, Ravel catching sight of him at the side before calling out to him. "W-wait!"

Josuke hesitated for a moment before peering back at the blonde. "What?"

"... Thank you." Ravel's voice came out gently, shyness suddenly taking over. "You… didn't have to do that after everything he did. Thank you…"

Josuke was quiet for a moment as he watched her with cold eyes, the bishop slightly buckling under his gaze. Finally he nodded, turning his back to her and beginning to walk away. "You're a good little sister. Take care of your brother and help him become a better man." He spoke sagely, stuffing one hand into his pocket before raising the other and waving. "Catch you later."

Ravel watched him depart for a long, silent moment in awe before she found her cheeks heating up. "He's so cool…"

Josuke walked up to Akeno, who watched him curiously with a small smile. "You really are too kind, aren't you?"

"Well, I had to get this back anyways." Josuke shrugged, holding the cross up for her to see. "Can we get going, now? I kinda want to go home and sleep for a few days straight."

"Of course. Go tell the lovebirds over there so that we can see Koneko-chan and Yuuto back home, too." Akeno told the Stand user who audibly sighed.

"I really don't want to get in the middle of all that…" Josuke muttered, Rias and Asia currently arguing over something, most likely Issei. Said brunette was sitting there with a dumb look on his face as if in the middle of a dream.

"I guess you'll just have to suffer through one more fight." Akeno giggled as she heard Josuke groan, limping over to the others. The raven haired Devil's eyes lingered on the lone human, the smallest tint of red covering her cheeks as she couldn't help but feel a deep amount of admiration.

"You really are amazing, Josuke-kun…"

 **To be continued…**

 **First off, I'd like to thank my beta nitewind for taking the time to beta this chapter for me.**

 **OH MY STARS AND GARTERS! Seriously. That chapter was so much fun to write but also very dreadful. Why? One, because combined with the previous chapter, that's a combo of of over 28 thousand words written which, had I decided to keep as one chapter, would have been my longest. So in the long run, yeah, I'm glad I decided to split up the chapters. So much action and anticipation, I loved writing this. It took a TON of time and energy, but it was definitely all worth it in the end.**

 **So yeah, I went a bit off canon and ended this arc now. I feel like if you have an outside force intervene, the results can't always be the same. I didn't like writing the chapter with Angelo exactly the same as it was before, so I'm going to start veering off certain moments and changing them. I won't do this with everything, just times I think that the result or event would turn out differently now that there's more than a couple of factors involved.**

 **I hope you all really enjoyed that chapter, I know it's probably one of the most anticipated moments from Highschool DxD, so I thought I'd make it just GREATO. I'm probably going to take a small break from this story now so that I can work on one of my other stories since it has been neglected for some time now in favor of this one. Anyways, thank you for reading, please leave a follow, favorite and review for me!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

A heavy yawn escaped Josuke's lips as he strolled down the sidewalk, approaching Issei's home as per every morning he was able to get ready first. It had only been a day since the events of the Rating Game, yet Josuke could already feel like things were going back to normal for him and the group of Devils. As normal as things could be with them, at least. The tension of change was now gone, and Rias had become full of spirit. Not to mention her feelings for Issei were made clear. The purple haired teen couldn't help but wonder, though, whether his best friend was now official with Rias or if he was tip-toeing around the subject.

 **(JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OST: Peaceful Street Corner)**

Those thoughts were brushed aside as Josuke walked up the steps and knocked on the door, bag under his arm as he waited patiently. Soon it was answered by a familiar head of blonde hair.

"Ah, Josuke-nii!" Asia greeted with a gentle smile, pulling the door back to let him in. "I was just in the middle of helping Issei's mother make breakfast! Will you be joining us?"

"I'll take some coffee. I ate before I came, though." Josuke answered with a small smile, walking in and taking off his shoes. "Issei still getting ready?"

"I think he might still be asleep. He did use a lot of energy, after all." Asia explained with a sigh, rubbing her arm shyly. "His arm is in its human form right now, but Akeno-san and I will have to keep an eye on it."

"It's a shame what happened to his arm, but Issei knew what he was doing." Josuke assured Asia without hesitation. As Issei had said, his arm now belonged to the Dragon within his Sacred Gear. It was now forever in the form of the familiar crimson bracer that Issei had come to know as his **Boosted Gear**. Josuke had made an attempt to return his arm to a human state, but to no avail. Only thanks to Akeno and Rias, who could absorb the energy from the bracer, was Issei able to have a semblance of a normal arm. Despite this, the fix was not permanent and the bracer would come out if left unchecked.

"R-right. It was to help save you and president…" Asia accepted with a nod. From behind her, the blonde heard a ping that immediately caught her attention, turning back to rush into the kitchen. "Would you mind going and waking him up for me? We're setting up the plates right now!"

"Sure." Josuke nodded, walking up the stairs and heading toward his best friend's room. He considered knocking on the door once arriving, but grinned deviously and slowly pushed the door open. "Oi~, Issei? You up?" He called out quietly, planning to jump on the brunette's gut if he had the chance. But what he ended up seeing caused him to freeze entirely. In the bed was not only Issei, but Rias as well. The latter of which was completely naked from what he could tell, her body straddling Issei. The red headed Devil only cast a curious glance back at Josuke while Issei was sweating bullets. Josuke's mouth was agape, cheeks red, and sweat starting to pour down his face.

"Oh, hello Josuke-kun. I didn't think you'd be here so early." Rias greeted him casually, dismounting from Issei and sitting by his side.

"... Breakfast is ready…" Was all Josuke could force out before slowly closing the door and puckering his lips. He stood there for a moment longer in silence before shuddering. "T-talk about an early morning shock…" He muttered to himself, unsure how he was supposed to react.

"Josuke-nii, is he up?" Asia's voice behind him caused the tall teen to let out a yelp and nearly jump out of his skin before spinning around and putting his back to the door to keep Asia out.

 _Sh-shit, she can't see what's in there or she'll freak._ "Y-yeah, he is! H-he's just getting ready, is all… No need to wait up…" Josuke quickly tried to excuse, causing Asia to blink.

"Ah, okay then." Asia accepted without doubt and gave an innocent smile before cupping a hand next to her mouth. "Don't take too long, Issei! The food will get cold!"

"Don't worry, Asia. We'll be quick to get ready." Josuke felt his eye twitch when the voice that answered the blonde **wasn't** Issei's. The blonde's eyes lit up, staring at the door with alarm.

"N-now Asia-chan…" Josuke tried to explain, only for Asia to rush up to the door and push it open. In his haste, Josuke had completely forgotten that it opened in instead of out, grunting as he flew with the door and fell flat on his back. Asia soon got a full view of Issei and Rias in bed together, the brunette chuckling nervously as he hesitantly held a hand up and waved.

"M-morning, Asia…"

"Good morning, Asia-san." Rias greeted rather casually, most likely enjoying the discomfort of the situation.

"Damn you two…" Josuke grumbled from the ground, sitting up and watching Asia for what she would do. The blonde sniffled for a moment before doing something Josuke **really** wasn't expecting: she grabbed the bottom of her shirt and began to pull it off. She made it past her stomach line before Josuke quickly snatched her shirt and kept her from getting naked.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Josuke blanched as he tried to keep Asia from disrobing.

"I-I don't want to be left out! I'm going to get naked too!" Asia declared, tears forming at the edge of her eyes.

" **What**?!" Issei and Josuke grunted in shock, the situation instantly becoming a whole new type of awkward.

"Oh, come on, Josuke. If she's willing to go so far to join us, then let her." Rias encouraged with a sly smile.

"Shut up! Don't make things worse than they are!" Josuke snapped back at the club president, struggling to hold Asia in place from his position on the ground. "And you! Don't get naked just because you feel left out! Especially while I'm **right here**!"

"A-Asia, listen to Josuke, please! Rias is about to get ready, too!"

"No! I want to join in!"

"Come on, Josuke. Let the girl do as she wishes."

"Why is this suddenly a problem **I** have to deal with?!"

* * *

 **(Highschool DxD OST:** **Ichinichi, Hajimarimasu)**

"Are you okay, Josuke-kun? You look rather tired." Akeno inquired of the tall teen. It was now after school and time to meet up with the club. In truth, Josuke felt too tired to want to deal with the rest of the day. He was leaning on the arm of the couch, cheek in hand and eyes closed. He barely wanted to answer the raven haired Devil, only opening one eye to look at her with a rather sour expression.

"Yeah, I'm pretty exhausted. I had a pretty **energetic** morning, after all." He vaguely explained, turning a glare toward both Issei and Asia who were in the couch across from him. The brunette could only laugh uneasily while Asia looked down in shame.

"You did seem pretty out of it when you guys showed up at my place." Okuyasu noted this time, the tall teen sitting in the couch at the front of the room across from Rias' table.

"S-sorry for causing you trouble this morning, Josuke-nii…" The blonde apologized sincerely, earning a sigh from her brother figure.

"Don't worry about it. It was just this morning…" He muttered before glancing at Rias and pointing an accusing finger. "What were you doing there so early, anyway?"

"That was something I was planning to announce, actually." Rias declared before crossing her arms with a sly smile. "Starting today, I will be moving into the Hyoudou household."

…

…

…

".. **What**?!" Josuke, Asia, Issei and Okuyasu cried out in complete shock.

"Y-you serious president?! Th-that's amazing!" Issei gasped, unable to hide his excitement after the morning he had.

"B-but I already live there… how will it work?" Asia whined, tears forming at the edge of her eyes.

"It seems your mornings are going to be exciting for a while, Josuke-kun." Kiba chuckled sympathetically, placing a hand on the tall teen's shoulder.

"I'm not coming by your house in the morning, anymore…" Josuke groaned, rubbing his hand over his face. "From now on, we meet at Okuyasu's place…"

"I-I heard you actually kissed Issei, but I didn't think it'd be goin' this quick for you two…" Okuyasu hummed in thought, a finger against his chin.

"All right, all right. Now that this news is out of the way, we should talk about another subject." Rias raised a hand, her club members falling silent at the gesture. "Jotaro-san called me. Like Okuyasu, he spectated the match. He said he was fairly impressed with what he saw, and congratulated us on our victory."

"Jotaro-san can be pretty hard to read, but I saw him smile a couple times." Okuyasu declared with a dumb grin, giving the group a thumbs up. "I thought you guys were pretty damn amazin' too!"

"Why thank you, Okuyasu-san. It was an incredibly hard fought battle. One I will always appreciate from everyone here." Rias smiled, glancing around at her club members. Her eyes misted a bit, pride and joy once again welling up within her, especially when her eyes met Issei's own brown orbs. A blush adorned the brunette's face and he couldn't help but avert his gaze, a sheepish chuckle escaping from him. Asia pursed her lips, not missing the small exchange between them but elected to keep to herself. Rias shook her head, wiping away the water in her orbs. "But let's not drop our guard just yet. Jotaro-san also reminded me of what else came of this game, exposure of our powers."

"What do you mean, president?" Akeno hummed, tilting her head in question.

"Jotaro-san suspects that Myrcella Lucifuge may have been able to watch our Rating Game. Which means that the enemy here is now aware of our capabilities." Rias explained, arms crossing under her chest. "From now on, we'll have to be on full guard. Akeno, did you make the preparations like I asked?"

"I have." Akeno nodded, placing several folders on the table. "I created protection around each of our allies homes. Each house is warded against invasion by Devil's under our enemy. Jotaro-san's hotel room, as well as Josuke-kun, Okuyasu-san, and Issei-kun's houses have been provided with the necessary seals. It would take a large amount of magical power to break them, and would not go unnoticed by us."

"Wait, when did you do that?" Okuyasu hummed in question, tilting his head in wonder. "I don't remember you comin' by."

"I had Akeno stop by each of your homes yesterday while you were all resting." Rias explained for him simply. "The Stand, **Red Hot Chili Pepper** , is capable of traveling through electricity. We had to make sure that he wasn't spying on each of us through his power. With Akeno's protection put up, he'll be repelled from the house's."

"Ah, I see…" Okuyasu mumbled, the mention of the Stand making him tense up and frown. His brow scrunched together as he looked down at his feet, not doing well to hide his frustration from the others. Issei rubbed his own arm, trying to think of something to say to ease his friend's pain, but wasn't sure what would be appropriate.

"You've been quiet, Jojo." Koneko suddenly spoke, bursting the atmosphere's tense bubble. Each club member turned to the tall teen in question, Okuyasu forgetting his dissatisfaction for a moment. Josuke had been looking down at his feet for a while, and only now blinked before looking up at everyone and releasing a sheepish chuckle.

"S-sorry, I kinda zoned out there for a minute…" Josuke admitted with embarrassment, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You're usually more attentive. What the hell?" Issei blanched, shaking his head in disappointment.

"Sh-shut up! I was just deep in thought!" Josuke snapped back bitterly, pursing his lips.

"Ara ara, what's got you distracted, Josuke-kun?" Akeno tilted her head curiously, standing behind the couch the tall teen sat in.

"Well, you see, I just thought that…" For a moment, Josuke became silent, now looking down at his feet again. Everyone seemed to lean in a bit, interested to see what was plaguing their friend's mind in such a way…

"... I'm going to have to buy some new shoes."

Issei nearly fell out of his seat at his best friend's answer. Rias felt a sweat drop form on top of her head while Okuyasu puckered his lips in disappointment. Akeno found the statement amusing, covering her mouth with one hand as she giggled while Koneko rolled her eyes and hid a small amused smirk behind a treat. Asia blinked in confusion, tilting her head curiously. Kiba gave a sheepish chuckle and smile, unsure what to say to that.

"Seriously? You're thinking about your style at a time like this?" Issei deadpanned in disappointment.

"Hey, it's not like that! I need new ones because the shoes I wore during the Rating Game got trashed, is all!" Josuke defended, motioning to his shoes with both hands. Issei, Asia and Okuyasu peered down curiously at the tall teen's usually nice shoes. For the three, the shoes looked completely fine, even if not brand new. "I only got these a month ago, and I was taking great care of them! But during the fight, they got a lot of damage done to them."

"Can't you just fix it with your Stand?" Rias suggested with a shrug, not seeing the big deal.

"I did that just to get them the way they are now." Josuke sighed disheartenedly. "They're still pretty faded now and don't have that new shoe feel to them. If I revert them back any further, they'll just turn into lumps of leather…"

"So what's the problem? Don't have enough money to buy new ones?" Akeno asked this time, taking a seat between him and Koneko. The white haired girl blinked for a moment before pouting, though electing to remain silent.

"Well, I do, it's just…" Josuke muttered for a moment, running a hand through the back of his hair. "The ones I want are really expensive. I've been trying to save up a little each allowance I'm given as well as any money I scam off of some jerks, but I wanted to wait a few more months once these ones lost their zeal. If I buy them now, then I won't have any money for another month."

"Then just wait a month or two. It's not like those shoes look bad or are unusable." Issei suggested, shaking his head. "I know you're a stickler about fashion, but they're really not that bad."

"Hey, fashion is one of my strongest suits!" Josuke snapped comically, pointing an accusing finger. "I have to keep my image suave and clean!"

"Josuke-kun does always seem to be wearing rather expensive uniforms." Kiba hummed in thought, noticing that his 'school uniform' was a much higher quality thread than what the students at the school normally wore.

"I have ta' agree with Josuke. Always gotta keep your image up." Okuyasu spoke up surprisingly, puffing out his chest to sort of show off the designs on his own clothes.

"Sh-should I try to find my own style too, Josuke-nii?" Asia inquired, her eyes shining with admiration of their commitment to style.

"If that's what you want. Though honestly, the best thing I can think of you wearing that would be **you** would be your nun's robe or something like that." Josuke hummed, holding his chin in thought. "Maybe we can do something to accommodate that."

"R-really? You'd do that for me?" Asia brightened up, giggling as Josuke placed a hand on top of her head and rubbed it caringly.

"Of course, Asia-chan. If we can find something comfy but fashionable to your taste, then I don't mind helping you out. You'll look **great**." Asia's eyes were sparkling at Josuke's words, trying to imagine herself looking as cool as she viewed Josuke.

"Ara ara, you really are like a big brother to little Asia-chan, aren't you?" Akeno giggled, leaning back in the couch next to him.

"You know, Josuke-kun, if you'd like I could give you the money for your shoes." Rias spoke up, immediately grabbing the Stand user's attention.

"W-what?! Really?!"

"Of course. You went out of your way to join in on the Rating Game with nothing to gain. It's the least I could do considering how much I feel indebted." Rias reasoned, Josuke grinning broadly at this and leaning forward.

"Th-that'd be just **great**! I definitely don't-" Josuke suddenly slapped his own cheek and held his hands out, shaking them desperately. Rias and the others blinked at this sudden action, unsure what provoked it. " **Wait** wait wait wait!" He started to pant, sweat dripping down his brow. "I-I can't… accept that from you…"

"What? Why not?" Rias asked, tilting her head in question.

"B-because I did that for you as a friend… Not for a reward…" Josuke explained with great strain, obviously wrestling with his own heart over what to do. "I have my pride to think about… I can't accept it…"

"Dude, just accept it. You know you want to." Issei sighed, leaning on one hand. "It's not like you didn't earn the money with everything you put up with."

"I-it just doesn't feel right, okay? Maybe if it was money from some asshole, but not someone like Rias." Josuke dismissed with a grumble, crossing his arms and trying to stay strong. The crimson haired beauty considered arguing, but thought of another idea.

"Alright, if you say so. I won't force you to take any money if you don't want it." Rias accepted before turning Akeno. "Akeno, would you mind doing some shopping? You did say we were running low on tea and treats."

"Of course! It's been almost two weeks since we were back, so there was no need at the time." Akeno nodded, rising from her seat to leave. "Josuke-kun, would you join me?"

"Huh?" Josuke hummed, blinking before shaking his head. "I mean-yeah, I don't mind. Plus I don't really do much in this club aside from hang out when you guys go out for contracts."

"Well, if you'd like, we can try other activities together, perhaps~?" Akeno winked back at him suggestively, giggling when he visibly tensed before groaning.

"You don't have to make everything uncomfortable for me, you know…" He muttered as a sweat drop formed on the back of his head. As Josuke started to follow after Akeno, he felt a small tug on his sleeve. He glanced back to see Koneko was stopping him, having stood up without his notice. "What's up?"

"Um…" She muttered, trying to find her words as a small tint of red covered her cheeks. "May I… join you both?"

"Huh?" Josuke blinked before grinning. "Hey, you don't have to ask me. Just come if you really want to. Trying to get some sweets?" He asked with a chuckle, lifting his hand and rubbing the top of her head, similar to how he did Asia. Koneko seemed put off by this action, puffing her cheeks out and waving his hand off her head.

"I'm not Asia." Koneko stated quietly but firmly, causing Josuke to raise a brow in confusion.

"Why do you say-"

"Koneko-chan, don't you have some contracts to attend to?" Akeno pointed out, leaning in the doorway with her usual smile, though it seemed a bit sweeter than usual. The small girl widened her eyes at that, opening her mouth to respond.

"She's right, Koneko. I actually do have a job for you to do today." Rias pointed out, immediately silencing the petite Devil.

"Don't worry, I'll try and pick something out for you that you'll like at the store." Josuke reassured Koneko, turning to the door with his hands in his pockets.

"Shall we, then?" Akeno spoke, glancing at Josuke from the side with her usual smile. _Sorry, Koneko-chan. I think I'll have some personal time with him first._

Koneko spun around to call out to him but found her voice dying in her throat, sighing as she watched Josuke go out the door with Akeno in front of him. She soon felt a hand on her shoulder, glancing back to see her master offering a sympathetic smile.

"I know. You feel grateful to him for avenging you during the game, right?" Rias guessed wisely, the petite Devil nodding shyly. "I understand. That's why, for today, I have a special task for you and Issei to take."

"Me too, president?" Issei pointed at himself, unsure what she might have in mind.

"That's right. In fact, why don't you all go with and do some shopping. As for what I want you to get, do you know what kind of shoes Josuke is looking for?"

* * *

Akeno kept her usual serene smile on her lips as she walked through Owson's convenience store, picking out a box of Rias' favorite tea leaves. She glanced around to find her shopping companion, Josuke a ways down the aisle scanning for a box of cookies she told him to collect. Her thoughts drifted back to the Rating Game and to the fortitude that Josuke had displayed to them all. When she first encountered Josuke, she wasn't sure what to make of him. He was just a human, one she imagined would fade from their lives after some time seeing what Devil's truly were and what they dealt with. Instead, Josuke became part of their little family, even while remaining human. He fought by their side and proved a valuable ally. What's more, Josuke played a major part in saving her master and best friend from an arranged marriage. She didn't have the slightest idea when she met the Stand user that he would have such an impact on all of their lives.

With this, Akeno was beginning to develop a great admiration of the Stand user. She was impressed with him before, no doubt, but now she was beginning to view him as much more. Josuke was a true man among men. She had begun to notice how handsome he really was, and how much the tall teen actually looked rather good in his strange fashion. In fact, she thought Josuke's fashion sense is part of what made him who he was. He was as kind and loyal as any friend could ask for, if not more so. He had his quirks, but his pluses far outweighed his flaws. She felt silly thinking this, but Akeno realized that she did, indeed, have a crush on the teen.

 _Ara ara, and here Rias and I agreed to not like boys when we were younger. Then again, she broke our pact first._ Akeno joked to herself, smothering a giggle as she turned to her basket to inspect what else she needed.

"Found them." Josuke announced as he walked past Akeno and tossed a box into the basket, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Is that everything we needed?"

"I believe it is. Again, thank you for accompanying me to shop, Josuke-kun." Akeno said in appreciation, earning a small shrug and smile in answer.

"It's no big deal. I could go out and do all the shopping for the club with Okuyasu so that we have an official job, if you guys wanted." Josuke offered, knowing that they weren't doing much when they weren't hunting Stray Devil's or fighting enemy Stand users. "Besides, the selection you guys have is pretty tame compared to what I'd expect a big family heiress like Rias to use." he noted, peering into the basket at their selection of items.

"President quite enjoys the simple treats that you can find here." Akeno explained before leaning in with her hand cupped. "Also, between you and me, President is an extremely large Japanophile."

Akeno watched as Josuke widened his eyes in surprise before grinning with a small laugh. "Seriously? I never would have guessed. But I guess that explains why she would decide to go to school in Japan, though, huh?"

"Yes. President was quite interested in what it would be like to go to school here." Akeno nodded, holding her chin in thought. "Combine that with the fact that this is a rather prestigious school and that Sona-sama was also planning to find a school here, Rias jumped on the opportunity. Sirzechs-sama also helped convince her parents by bringing up the abnormal Devil activity that takes place in this town."

"Yeah, that's for sure. What is it about this town that attracts so many Devils, anyway?" Josuke hummed in thought, thinking of the few Stray Devil's they had encountered.

"There is a link between earth and the Underworld here. Usually if you're trying to leave the Underworld or vice versa, you would do it through this town." Akeno further explained for Josuke. The tall teen held his chin in thought before sighing.

"I'd ask how that works, but I don't know if I'd fully understand it even if you explain. I'm still not fully versed on all the stuff involving Devil's and all that." He admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "So, shall we head back, then?"

"Of course. We have spent a bit of time, haven't we?" Akeno noted with a humorous giggle. The two headed for the registers, looking to check out and leave. As they were about to take a place in the short line, Akeno noticed Josuke stop short, glancing back at the aisles. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, I just remembered I needed to grab something. Be right back." Josuke answered quickly before turning around and heading down the snack aisle. Akeno tilted her head in question but didn't bother to ask, reaching into the basket and placing their groceries on the checkout strip. The tall teen quickly returned, placing a small bag of chocolate mini-donuts on the strip. "Sorry. I told Koneko-chan I'd get her some sweets while we were out since she got left behind."

 _Ah, of course._ Akeno remembered that Josuke had briefly offered such to the white haired Devil. Speaking of whom, she couldn't help but wonder how Koneko currently felt about their human companion. She had been acting a bit different of late since his and Issei's arrival, though it was obvious she held Josuke in a higher regard than the perverted brunette. In fact, if Akeno didn't know any better, she might assume Koneko also had a crush on Josuke. She acted a bit more open with how she felt around the tall teen, and even kept the nickname of 'Jojo'. _She did express an annoyance at being treated the same as Asia._

"I see. So are you trying to woo our youngest member with sweets? I didn't realize you were into more petite women, Josuke-kun~!" Akeno decided to tease Josuke, the tall teen giving a solid reaction as his eyes widened in exasperation.

"Hey, hey! I'm not trying anything like that, geez!" Josuke dismissed, waving his arms desperately. "I just felt bad we left her behind when she wanted to come."

"Ah, I see. You should be careful when you do things like this, Josuke-kun. Otherwise you may end up making a girl fall for you." Akeno giggled as they moved up in the line, earning a sigh from the tall teen.

"I doubt getting treats for Koneko-chan would make her fall for me."

"Perhaps, but it's the little things that can work a girl over, with time." Akeno countered as she paid for their groceries.

"Oh, like going shopping with you?" Josuke joked back with a chuckle. Akeno gave a small but mischievous smile, turning to him with her hands behind her back.

"Just maybe~." Akeno winked and giggled at the tall teen who rolled his eyes in amusement, taking the statement with a grain of salt from what Akeno could tell. _Though you already have my attention, Josuke-kun._

* * *

"We should head to one of the nearby alleyways. I can teleport us back to the clubroom." Josuke heard Akeno suggest, walking in line next to her with the bags of their groceries in his hands.

"We could just walk back. We're only ten or so minutes away." The tall teen offered, only for Akeno to shake her head.

"Normally, I wouldn't mind. But today, I have some duties to attend to since we've come back to Kuoh Academy. We have to reestablish contracts with customers and sort through new ones we might have waiting for an answer." Akeno informed him, Josuke humming in understanding.

"I guess two weeks gone will do that. Not to mention you guys weren't sure what would happen." Josuke nodded in understanding, glancing to the side to see an open alley. "This a good place?"

Akeno peered past him before surveying their surroundings, most likely confirming that no one was around to see, before nodding in acceptance. "This should be okay. Come on." The raven haired Devil lead him down the alley, making sure that they were out of everyone else's view. The walls around them were a painted white and a little over two stories. At the end of the alley was a wall connecting the buildings with no other exit in sight.

"I think that this is good eno-... oh no…" Akeno immediately paled, eyes narrowing in alert as electricity crackled around her hands.

"Wh-what's wrong?" Josuke asked, feeling her caution and snapping his head back and forth to see what had the raven haired Devil on edge.

"Damn it all… it was only supposed to be the queen…" Josuke quickly followed the voice, hearing it from above them. Glancing around at the surrounding walls of the alley, his eyes finally fell upon the source of the voice, who stood on top of the roof at the end of the alley.

It was a teen not much older looking than them, wearing a black hoodie with it's hood pulled loosely over his head. He wore a pair of slacks and simple black shoes. His complexion was pale and his eyes almost dead, large bags under his lids like he had been sleep deprived. If one were to compare him to anything, it would most likely be a shut in who hadn't seen the light of day in a while.

"An enemy." Akeno spoke with conviction, narrowing her eyes at the teen above them.

"Already? And right after going through the Rating Game…" Josuke muttered in annoyance, glaring at the lifeless looking teen. "Should we call for backup?"

"Won't do much good. I've put up a wall of seals around this alley." The supposed enemy announced, hearing their exchange. "No one will be able to come in or out 'til I'm out of commission. You could try and break it by force, but you won't have enough time for that. I have to kill the Priestess of Thunder, after all."

"Who are you? Why are you after my life?" Akeno demanded, her Devil wings sprouting from her back.

"The name's Saizo. I would give my family name, but on the off-chance you guys escape, I'd hate to get in trouble with my master." Saizo sighed dejectedly, crouching over the ledge and wrapping his arms around his knees. "Besides, I am now a part of Myrcella Lucifuge's peerage as her bishop. My family name doesn't really matter in hindsight."

Josuke and Akeno narrowed their eyes at the mention of the Lucifuge daughter. "So I'm guessing that makes you a Devil Stand user then, huh?" Josuke inquired, pointing a finger at Saizo.

"Exactly. Meaning you should know exactly how dangerous I am." The lifeless teen answered, his tone conveying little interest as he spoke. "Which reminds me. Since you're not part of the peerage, you could just leave her here."

 **(JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OST: Stand Activated)**

"Excuse me?" Josuke grunted in response, eyes scrutinizing Saizo as he spoke.

"I was only sent to kill the queen. Also because I was dumb enough to make this suggestion…" Saizo declared, muttering the second half of his sentence under his breath. "You leave now, I'll spare you. I'd rather not have to go through the hassle of fighting two people. Especially after watching what you can do."

"I'm getting tired of people telling me what is and isn't my business." Josuke retorted with an edge in his voice, pointing at Saizo. "I made it pretty clear I was going to stick by them, no matter what."

"Josuke-kun…" Akeno muttered before a small smile graced her lips, taking a defensive stance and preparing for the inevitable fight. Saizo released a frustrated groan, shaking his head.

"You heroic types are so typical…" A small tin bird appeared on his shoulder, twitching around with each movement. Josuke and Akeno raised a brow as they saw this, but grimaced as the bird was accompanied by another, then another. Soon, perching on the roofs around them and releasing small metallic squawks, were a large flock of the tiny metal birds. They were massive in number despite their size and their eyes shined red. "You've made your decision. Now it's time for you and the Gremory queen to face my Stand, **Sting**."

"Careful, Akeno-chan. This is a swarm type Stand like Okuyasu's brother's.." Josuke warned the raven haired Devil, the two going back to back to cover one another. "They have decent power and destroying a few of them won't do any damage to the guy. We're going to have to get up there and hit him directly."

Akeno gazed around at the tin birds, analyzing the situation before giving a small smile. "Perhaps destroying one or two won't work. But what about all of them at once?" Akeno suggested, causing Josuke to raise a brow in question.

" **Sting** , pluck them to death." Saizo ordered, his flock of birds soon descending upon Akeno and Josuke. The tall teen grit his teeth as he summoned **Crazy Diamond** to his side, but halted when Akeno stepped forward, red energy radiating from her body. She raised her hands at the approaching flock, magic circles appearing in both palms.

" **Electrocute.** " With those words, lightning burst forward from her palms, hitting the flock of tin birds like a wall of water washing forth in the ocean. The attack didn't reach Saizo, but it was strong enough to blast across the entire flock without problem. Josuke's jaw slacked slightly at the display of power, watching as the tin birds were stopped in their tracks, electricity chaining between each one. Akeno ceased her attack, the static fading before the birds started to fall to the ground.

"Whoa… amazing, Akeno-chan! Good thinking! I almost forgot how crazy strong you are!" Josuke complimented with a large grin, causing the raven haired Devil to giggle and return the smile.

"It's so nice to hear you praise me!~ But let's save it for after we finish off our opponent." Akeno advised, turning back to smile confidently up at Saizo. "Your Stand is nothing compared to Josuke-kun's. Surrender now and I won't hurt you… too bad~."

Saizo stared down at them, uncaring of the display if his expression was anything to go off of. The enemy Stand user instead gave a small smile and scoffed. "Perhaps you all haven't had enough experience with fighting other Stand users. So I'm guessing you don't know that **Stands** can't be hurt by normal magic, including demonic power."

Josuke heard Akeno cry out suddenly, immediately turning to see that she had been struck in the side by three of the tin birds, each one digging into her flesh and causing blood to spill from the wounds. " **Akeno-chan!** " The tall teen didn't hesitate, **Crazy Diamond** bursting forward in a flash of pink light.

 **DORARARARARARARARARARARA~!** His Stand roared, smashing each bird to bits. Akeno grinded her teeth in pain, suddenly falling forward. Josuke lept forward and caught her in his arms, immediately using his restorative ability to fix her wounds. "It's okay, I've got you."

"Th-thank you, Josuke-kun… but I…" Akeno seemed incredibly drained, attempting to stand on her own but her movements were sluggish. "I can… barely move…"

"Wh-what? What's wrong? I healed you so if there's poison, it should have gone away!" Josuke stated in panic, keeping a firm hold on the raven haired Devil. "What the hell did you do to her?!" He growled, glaring up at Saizo as he kept his Stand close by, ready to engage the now active swarm.

"Stands can be interacted with by magic, and certain ones have powers that can be cancelled out by different sources." Saizo began to explain, his flocking Stand apparently waiting for his order to attack. "But the Stands themselves are impervious to most types of magic. Despite this, I'm glad I took her down first. Her powers have a much larger range than yours and would be a pain in the ass to deal with."

"I didn't ask that! Why the hell is she having trouble moving?!" Josuke growled, eyes darting around and making sure that the swarm wasn't attacking.

"If you must know, it's because I imbued **Sting** with a powerful miasma." Saizo sighed, deciding to humor the question. "Normally, my Stand has poison that disables the nerves of the limb it hits. Considering your Stand would just nullify it though, I decided to use a more magical option of disabling her. Miasma isn't powerful enough to kill her, but disabling her movements works in my favor. Perhaps if you were a Devil, you could have removed the miasma, but as you are now, you can't completely reverse the damage done with magic."

"Damn it all. This looks like a **great** situation we're in, huh?" Josuke chuckled dryly, throwing Akeno's arm over his shoulders and holding her up. "Don't worry, Akeno-chan. I'll get us out of this mess."

"Be careful…" Akeno muttered, glancing up weakly at the tall teen.

"We'll see. Your power type Stand might be annoying if you get close, but **Sting** can be anywhere I need it to be." Saizo hummed without a care before raising a hand and pointing at them. "It'd be nice if you just died quick as possible. Attack."

Without further hesitation, **Sting** darted forward like a swarm of wasps, their metal beaks looking more like small thorns. Josuke stepped forward, meeting the flock with his own, much larger Stand.

 **DORARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARA~! Crazy Diamond** roared as it launched a fist rush, trying to take out a number of the tin birds. Considering that they were all around him, Josuke's Stand moved from side to side hitting each bird away, going from his left to his right, from front to back, covering all bases. Unlike with Akeno's attack, the birds fell to pieces when smashed by his Stand's fist. This, of course, did no damage to Saizo, but it was at least enough to protect them from harm. As his Stand protected him for the moment, Josuke took the time to bend down and pick Akeno up, carrying her piggyback style. "I'm going to be doing a lot of moving around, so I'll keep you on my back, okay?"

Akeno could only weakly nod, wrapping her arms as tightly around his neck as she could. Josuke looked back up at Saizo, assessing his options and how to get to the pale teen. _I could try and overlap_ _ **Crazy Diamond's**_ _legs over mine and jump as fast as possible up to him, but I'd be way more open in the air. He probably saw me do it during the Rating Game, so he'll be expecting it-_

"Get me up there…"

Josuke blinked when he heard Akeno's voice in his ear, turning his head slightly to look her in the eyes. Akeno could only meet them sluggishly, but he could see a fire of conviction in her orbs, one that filled him with confidence. He nodded in acceptance, turning back to look at the distance between them and Saizo.

"You can only delay the inevitable. I can keep spawning more of **Sting** so long as I don't take any damage." Saizo sighed tiredly, back in a sitting position on the roof above.

"Then I guess I'll just have to get you in range, huh?" Josuke retorted with a smirk, willing his Stand to cease his attack for only a moment to smash its fist into the ground. Cement and dirt kicked up from the ground before a gold aura surrounded it and made the chunks reform. Saizo raised a brow as it turned into a makeshift shield, the swarm Stand now blocked from their target and hitting the wall with a thud. **Sting** began to latch onto the wall with their talons, their metal bodies making spastic movement as it tried to figure out what to do.

"Just destroy it, geeze." Saizo sighed, shaking his head. "Or fly over it, I don't care whi-"

 **DORA!** Josuke's Stand burst forth through the wall, causing Saizo to choke on his words as a piece of cement rocketed toward him. "Ah damn it- **Sting!** " The swarming Stand immediately followed his order, departing from the wall and attacking the flying debris. Considering it's low power, it took a moment before the Stand could completely destroy it, but with the sheer number of beaks pecking away at it, the cement was reduced to dust. Saizo might have become a Devil recently, but he definitely wasn't ready to take a hit like that head on. He sighed in relief as he dispersed his Stand from his front view, trying to see his opponents.

 **(JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OST: Diamond is Unbreakable Main Theme)**

"Now that that's out of the way… Oh…" Saizo trailed off as he saw Josuke rocketing forward with Akeno on his back still, grinning as he flew toward the Devil Stand user. "G-get him now!" **Sting** formed a cloud and buzzed forward, hoping to swarm upon Josuke and Akeno.

"Too slow." Josuke taunted, **Crazy Diamond** appearing above him transparently, smashing it's fist into the left wall of the alley and ricocheting him to the other side right before the flock could overtake them. As the tin birds hit the wall, Josuke overlapped his legs with his own Stand again and kicked off the opposite wall.

"D-damn it! This is why I didn't wanna do this shit!" Saizo complained in a panic, pointing at Josuke in annoyance. " **Sting**! Disable his legs!"

"Doesn't look like you're much of a fighter, huh?" Josuke smirked as he gazed sideways at the approaching swarm, pointing at it with one hand. " **Crazy Diamond**! Fix it!" Rubble from the ground and the stone from the surrounding walls he had hit to launch himself started to glow, flying into the air to his side. It once again formed a shield, blocking the swarm Stand's path from hitting him directly.

"I-I'll show you, damn it! You think I'll fall for the same shit twice?!" Saizo cried out furiously, his once lifeless demeanor dissipating due to frustration. " **Sting** , go around it!"

"I don't think you're that dumb. But you're definitely not made for direct fights, huh?" Josuke sneered. Instead of forming a total shield as **Sting** approached, the rubble started to arch forward. Saizo's eyes widened as the cement shield became a dome and trapped his Stand within it, only a few escaping from the trap. **DORARARARARARA!** Josuke made sure to smash the remaining ones to pieces, continuing on his way toward Saizo.

"O-oh shit! **S-Sting**! Hurry up and break out of it!" Saizo cried out, taking several steps back before falling on his ass. Josuke landed with a thud on top of the roof in front of him, glaring a hole into the sun deprived Devil's eyes.

"You're going to pay for what you did to Akeno-chan." Josuke growled, narrowing his eyes at the Devil Stand user, tilting his head slightly toward the weakened raven haired Devil. She was completely slack on his back, making no movements as he stepped forward.

"D-damn it! Why can't I summon **Sting** yet?!" Saizo cried out in fear, trying to make it materialize before him.

"I trapped it with **Crazy Diamond's** energy. Even if demonic energy won't work, a Stand power definitely will." Josuke pointed out as he took steps forward, his Stand appearing before him.

"W-wait! Pl-please don't…" Saizo began to cry out, holding up his arms over his face. Despite this, a small smile crept on his face. "Don't… make me laugh."

 **(JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OST: Interception)**

 ***Stab***

Just as Josuke took another step forward, he suddenly felt his knee being pierced by something sharp. " **Ack**!" He cried out in pain, immediately falling to one knee. It was soon followed by several other stabs, this time in his thigh and in his left arm. He ground his teeth in pain, barely keeping Akeno steady on his back as he glanced down at where he was wounded. There, he could see several of **Sting** digging their beaks into his limbs, a purple fume rising from their mouths.

"D-damn it!" Josuke cursed, **Crazy Diamond** appearing at his side and striking each bird furiously and destroying them. Despite dispatching each one, Josuke could no longer feel his left arm and leg, as he made feeble attempts to stand. He nearly dropped Akeno once again, but kept a tight hold on her leg to keep her on his back.

"Oh-ho~, not so tough now, huh~?" Saizo goaded, his voice hiding no amount of amusement as he stood at full height. "You almost had me there, no doubt. But you got a bi~t too cocky, huh?" He made sure to take a safe step back, out of **Crazy Diamond's** range. Josuke ground his teeth in frustration, dragging his now dead arm and leg slowly in vain. "You'll never make it. **Sting** has already broken out of your little trap."

As if on cue, the large swarm of tin birds burst into the air and hovered above them, causing Josuke to glance up as sweat ran down his brow. "I've never been much for fighting, sure, or for caring about winning. But it is pretty satisfying to take the rug out from under a cocky guy like you when he thinks he's won." Saizo continued to monologue, his grin spreading to a creepy length at his triumph. "To think, I'll be able to tell mistress I took **two** of you out, especially **you**! She'll be so happy~!"

"You bastard…" Josuke muttered, his hair shading his eyes as he continued to struggle forward. Saizo laughed at his pathetic attempt, only taking a single step back from the tall teen.

"So close, so close~! But no cigar. Aw~..." Saizo laughed as he pointed at Josuke. "You were **this** close to getting me in your range, but no dice. But you are well within the range of **my** Stand. **Sting** , finish him off." The cloud of birds hovered above once more, soon darting forward to crash against Josuke and Akeno. The tall teen didn't bother to look up, instead glancing back up at Saizo.

"Who said I was getting you within **my** range?"

 **(JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OST: Diamond is Unbreakable Main Theme)**

Saizo could only blink at his words, but soon understood what he meant as Akeno suddenly lifted her head and gave a dark grin, straining but forcing her arm to straighten out and point at him with a magic circle forming in her palm. "Wh-what?! B-but how are you still moving?!"

"The miasma is strong, no doubt. But unlike you, I'm a seasoned Devil…" Akeno declared with some panting, electricity crackling in her palm. "I can push through a little pain. Now, why don't you make a good scream for me?"

Saizo sputtered for a moment, pointing at the two in fear. " **St-Sting!** Hurry up and-"

 ***KRAK-OOM***

Without another moment to spare, lightning struck Saizo in a brilliant flash, enveloping his body in sparks and causing him to wail in pain. Before **Sting** could touch either of his opponents, it dissipated from his loss of focus. He was sent flying back, his body charred as he landed with a heavy thud on the ground several meters away. Saizo was no longer capable of fighting them any further, his eyes rolled back from the sheer pain of the attack.

Seeing that they were in no imminent danger, Josuke grinned before falling forward, barely catching himself on his one good knee. The poison in his arm and leg still coursed through them, making them useless for the time being. Akeno was able to stand on her own and even reached out and supported Josuke on the numb side of his body.

"Good job getting us up here while I was weakened, Josuke-kun. I knew I could trust you." Akeno giggled, giving him a comforting smile.

"I was surprised you were up for taking a shot at him. Guess it just goes to show how tough you are. Not that I ever doubted that. Thanks for saving me." Josuke weakly chuckled, trying to balance himself with his working limbs. "So, what about him?" He asked, glancing forward at their fallen foe. Despite the powerful blast he took, his body made several twitches and his chest rose and fell, indicating he was at least breathing.

"It seems he's alive. Perhaps it would be best to take him back for questioning." Akeno suggested, narrowing her eyes at Saizo. Before the two could further speculate, a bright purple magic circle appeared beneath him.

"F-fuck this… I'm out… I told her my Stand would only be good for assassination…" Saizo forced out painfully, not bothering to look at the two who defeated him.

"Hey! Hold it, you bastard!" Josuke roared, but unable to make any move to stop him from escaping. Akeno held up her hand to shoot another bolt of lighting, but was too late as he soon dissipated into the light before their eyes. Akeno bit her bottom lip and sighed, lowering her arm and using it to support Josuke's weight.

"It's too late. He has escaped." Akeno stated, glancing at Josuke apologetically. The tall teen narrowed his eyes at where Saizo had disappeared from but released a sigh, shrugging with his good arm.

"Nothing we can do about that, now. Guess it's better than having to keep fighting. Especially with my arm and leg like this…" Josuke hummed before glancing at Akeno curiously. "Are you okay? I'm still not sure how that miasma is affecting you."

"I'm quite alright, Josuke-kun. I still feel some of it, but it will completely fade. Plus, you don't seem to be in a position to talk with your injuries." Akeno giggled, propping Josuke up on her shoulder to make sure he would have her full support.

"Yeah, I guess that's true… Mind getting us back? Asia can probably heal me up." Josuke inquired hopefully. Akeno tilted her head up in thought, holding her chin with her free hand. "Wh-what's wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I just thought that… it's pretty nice to have you disabled for a moment." Akeno declared as a sly smile crossed her face, immediately making Josuke sweat in fear. "I wonder what things I could do to you before we get back?"

"A-Akeno-chan, stop it…"

"Come on, it could be a lot of fun~!"

"Please don't tease me like that…" Josuke whined, unable to really run away should Akeno take advantage. Thankfully, Akeno only giggled and shook her head, leaving Josuke alone as a magic circle appeared beneath them both.

"Alright, I suppose I won't take advantage of you…" Josuke released a sigh of relief, somewhat relax as they began to fade into the light of the magic circle. "... at least not until we get back."

"Wait, what?"

* * *

Saizo lay pathetically on the ground, his body still completely charred as Myrcella stood over him with her arms crossed, a foot on top of his chest. "So, I take it you were unable to complete your mission?" She asked, a small edge in her voice as she spoke.

"I-I'm sorry, master…" Saizo whined pathetically, looking as if he wanted to shrink from existence. "J-Josuke Higashikata ended up appearing as well… Usually the queen shops alone, but for some reason he chose to accompany her today…"

"Josuke Higashikata?" Myrcella repeated with a raised brow, humming in thought. "Hm. What a coincidence that he would appear of all times."

"I'd say that supports my theory." The voice of her queen echoed in, the silver haired Devil glancing at the door to see him standing there with a guitar in hand. "Stand users attract other Stand users. Which means that whenever we send one of our own out to kill them, there's a chance that Josuke Higashikata or even Keicho Nijimura's brother will be there to help them out."

"I suppose at this point, there's little reason to deny that your theory is true." Myrcella sighed, taking her foot off her servant and placing her hands on her hips. "We're going to have to think of an alternative. Considering what happened today, perhaps going back to training our powers is still the best course of action."

"S-so no more attempts at killing them for now?" Saizo weakly asked, his master glancing down at him and nodding.

"That is correct. At least from **us** , that is."

"Have someone else in mind to do it?" Her queen inquired curiously, strumming his guitar.

"I do, in fact. Someone who could deal with both our Gremory and Stand user problem, if we're lucky." Myrcella nodded holding up her phone and dialing several numbers. "It at least spares us the trouble of risking our own troops."

"U-uh… master…" Saizo squeaked up to Myrcella, still lying on the ground. The silver haired Devil raised a brow as she peered down at him. "D-do you think you could… heal me, please?"

Myrcella sighed after a moment before nodding, putting her phone down and slowly stripping off her purple tank top, her breasts bouncing out in a black laced bra. "Fine, but you know the rule. You fail, you must pull your own clothes off."

"Y-yes master…"

"And~ I'm leaving."

* * *

"To think that you would encounter one of Myrcella's servants so soon… I can't believe it…" Rias cursed, biting her thumb in annoyance.

"Indeed. His Stand was similar in nature to your brother, Okuyasu-san. A swarm type Stand." Akeno declared seriously, turning her gaze to the punk in question.

"O-oh, I see…" Okuyasu muttered, seeming a bit distracted as he stared at the raven haired teen.

"Well, at least you both were able to come back without too much damage." Kiba smiled, unbothered by what seemed to distract Okuyasu.

"You're almost fully healed, Josuke-nii. Don't worry…" Asia muttered as her green aura covered her brother figure, though she seemed to be a bit uncomfortable from her position as well.

"Seems like you guys went through a lot of trouble…" Issei muttered with a chuckle of amusement, holding his chin. "But I say it worked out for the best, at least."

"Did it?" Koneko asked with a bit of an edge in her usual monotone voice. The reason behind the small bit of awkwardness in the room was simple: Asia was currently healing Josuke, and while she did so, Akeno had elected to force the purple haired teen to rest his head in her lap.

"Akeno-chan… I think I can move my arm and leg now…" Josuke muttered, his cheeks red as he felt embarrassed by the stares he received from his clubmates over his current state.

"Ara ara, that's fine and all, but it would be best to be sure~!" Akeno said with a sickly sweet smile. "Besides, consider it a reward for your efforts in protecting me today."

"Th-that's nice of you, but you really don't have to. I'm pretty sure I'm-" Josuke started to get up, only for Akeno to force his head back down.

"Not until you're fully healed~!"

"Hey, be appreciative of the gift! Making a pillow out of Akeno-chan's lap would be a dream for any other guy!" Issei scolded his best friend, crossing his arms firmly. "Be a man!"

"D-do you think I'll ever get to lay my head in a girls lap, Issei?" Okuyasu muttered, biting on the corner of one of the couch pillows in envy.

"Oh? Any man would, huh?" Rias hummed, her eyes drilling holes into the back of Issei's head and making him gulp in fear.

"You guys are so dumb…" Josuke muttered, unable to fight his current situation as things were. Rias only giggled at his discomfort, glancing around at her peerage. "As amusing as Josuke's plight is-("Hey!")-there is something that we have to give him. Would you mind letting him up, Akeno?"

The raven haired Devil pouted at this, slowly removing her hands from the side of Josuke's head. The tall teen breathed out in relief, sitting up on the couch. "So, what is it?" He asked, leaning forward on his knees. Rias only smiled, turning to Koneko with a nod. The petite Devil blushed a bit but nodded back, standing up before walking behind one of the other couches. She picked up a large shoe box hidden from sight, slowly walking back to the couch and hesitantly holding it out to Josuke, who blinked in question.

"... Thank you." Koneko muttered out before bowing low to the tall teen. "Thank you for avenging me in the game, Josuke-kun."

"Huh?" Josuke muttered before grinning and nodding. "Of course. But you didn't have to thank me for… that…" he trailed off, his eyes suddenly shining once he lifted the top from the box. Inside were the **exact** shoes that he had been eyeing for the longest time, his breath hitching for a moment as he felt his heart stop. "N-no way… b-but how…?"

"It's a good thing you always go on about the shoes you want." Issei chuckled, grinning at Josuke with a thumbs up. "I was able to remember exactly which ones you wanted."

"B-but I… but you…" Josuke stuttered out, eyes flicking from the shoes to his friends, his orbs misting from the amazement and happiness he felt at seeing the beautiful shoes in his hands.

"You said you wouldn't accept any money from me. You didn't say you wouldn't accept a gift, now did you?" Rias giggled, crossing her legs as she sat on her table. "We all appreciate what you did. Please accept this as a token of such."

"It's basically from all of us, so you better accept it, you lucky bastard!" Okuyasu laughed, grinning dumbly at Josuke with a thumbs up.

"It's too late to say no, now. They said no returns." Issei chuckled, leaning against the wall.

"Oh my, I think you all have completely overshadowed my gift." Akeno giggled, watching as Josuke's hands trembled while holding the box. The tall teen sniffled a bit and ran an arm over his eyes to wipe them of any water.

"You guys… are the best…"

* * *

"What else can you tell me about his appearance?"

Jotaro sat in his room, pouring over a stack of files that the Speedwagon Foundation had provided him on missing persons in the town of Kuoh. Rias had given him a call, the two talking about the incident that had occurred earlier that day. Jotaro wasn't surprised that Myrcella had acted so quickly, but was no less concerned over the attempted assassination.

" _Not much. Akeno and Josuke-kun said his attire was rather bland as well as his complexion. He barely looked older than them, but was definitely a recently made Stand user."_ Rias explained with a sigh, obviously a bit frustrated by the lack of information they still had on their enemy.

"It's not much to go on, and it's also likely that the kid hasn't been reported missing, either. But I'll be sure to look into all possibilities for us." Jotaro reassured her, knowing that this was more up his alley than the Devils considering Saizo was a human only a short while ago.

" _Thank you, Jotaro-san. It's good to have your help on the matter. I don't want my servants or my friends to be in such imminent danger any longer than we have to."_ Rias spoke, the sincerity in her voice evident. Jotaro felt a bit of nostalgia from her words, glancing to the side at an old picture. One that framed him with four other men and a small dog.

"Yeah. I know the feeling…" Jotaro hummed in response. "I'll take what information we have and do what I can. Thank you for what you've provided."

" _Of course. I wish you luck in your search."_ With that, the two hung up, Jotaro returning to his box of files.

"Yare yare… after this failure, perhaps we'll be able to get some time to do some searching." Jotaro spoke to himself aloud. He knew that their enemy wouldn't take such a bold shot again after messing up. They had time, even if only a little, to gather more intel. He didn't imagine he would be staying in Kuoh as long as he had, but it was obvious he was needed here as long as there was a Stand threat. Especially one enhanced by that of the Devils. The last thing he needed right now was a distract-

 ***ring ring***

Jotaro reached into his pocket and pulled his cell phone back out, immediately stiffening at the name listed on the screen. _Yare yare daze…_ With a heavy sigh, Jotaro slid the green phone icon to answer, holding his cell to his ear. "... Hello?"

" _... Hello, Jotaro."_ a feminine voice answered, one that caused Jotaro to immediately fill with a bit of guilt.

"Hello, Anne…" He answered quietly. A small silence hung after he spoke, the woman on the other side apparently taking some time to gather the courage to answer.

" _Jotaro, I… I needed to call you and tell you something… it's about Jolyne."_ Immediately Jotaro felt his body tense, leaning forward on his desk and gripping his phone.

"What is it? Is she alright?" He asked, a small edge in his voice that most would only hear when he was in a tense situation or angered.

" _Sh-she's fine, don't worry. She's not sick anymore, so that's not a problem."_ Anne answered, her words making Jotaro relax somewhat before becoming firm once again.

"So what is it, then?"

" _... Listen, Jotaro. I know that you set out on important business, but… Jolyne really wants to see you."_ Jotaro felt another small pang of guilt in his heart, but shook his head. He loved his daughter, there was no doubt about that. But his business here was important.

"I'm sorry, Anne. I don't know when I'll be back. What I'm doing here is very important." Jotaro explained, his voice reverting back to it's near emotionless state.

" _More important than your_ _ **daughter**_ _?"_ Jotaro felt his free hand grip, his knuckles turning white from the pressure. This was a conversation that he'd had with his wife more than once. One he couldn't exactly rectify considering he would never be able to tell her the nature of his job. Aside from his usual Marine Biology work, of course. He heard his wife release a heavy sigh and pictured her shaking her head. _"I know that things have been… strained between us of late. But you have to understand that Jolyne comes before either of us. Even if you don't want to be with me, I need you to show your daughter you love her._ _ **She**_ _needs you to show that."_

Jotaro felt his anger simmer with those words, releasing a heavy sigh of his own. _If only it were that easy._ "I understand, Anne… I do. But I can't right now…"

" _... It's fine, because I've already put her on a plane for Kuoh."_

Jotaro felt his eyes widen in brief shock, standing from his seat and slamming a hand on his desk. "Why the hell would you do that without informing me first?!" _She'll be in danger here, damn it!_

" _Because, Jotaro, you would have told me to keep her here! I wasn't going to do that to our daughter!"_

"Damn it, Anne, you don't understand!" Jotaro growled, unsure how to explain the danger to his estranged wife without telling her of the true threats he faced.

" _Perhaps if you would open up to me,_ _ **I would**_ _!"_ Anne snapped back, the two falling silent as their anger boiled for a bit. Again, it simmered, and the two were able to take a deep breath. _"Look, Jotaro. I know how much you care. Especially about your daughter. But the problem is that Jolyne_ _ **doesn't**_ _. How could she with how detached emotionally you always act?"_ Jotaro couldn't argue that point. It was the reason why his marriage had fallen apart in the first place. He didn't know what it was, but he always failed at showing how he felt. _"So I want you to spend some time with her, even if only for a day, while she's there. I got her a roundway ticket, so she'll be coming back two days after her arrival. She arrives in the morning."_

Jotaro bit his lip in frustration, running a hand over his face and releasing a heavy sigh. There was nothing he could do to stop this, now. It was already done. _Yare yare daze._ "... Fine. I'll keep her the weekend. But that's **it**."

" _Fine…"_ his estranged wife answered, a dejected sigh escaping her. _"It's better than nothing… take care, Jotaro. Please call me once you've picked her up from the airport. I'll text you the time and airline."_ with that, Anne hung up the phone. Jotaro slowly lowered the phone from his head, putting it away and leaning on the table in front of him. Part of him was actually a bit happy to hear his daughter would be coming down to see him. But that part was overshadowed by the fear of danger of this town. Of course, he would never let anything happen to Jolyne that was within his power, but that didn't mean he was any less concerned.

 _Yare yare daze… I have to meet with my contacts tomorrow. Looks like I might need some help._

 **To be continued…**

 **Thanks goes to my Beta nitewind who took the time to go through the edit for me so soon, even while he was having some troubles. You're the best man, always know that!**

 **Aaaaaand I'm back, baby! Well, sorta. School has started so updates will definitely be irregular, but I have definitely come back to start my work on the ADD series! Yay! Lol but anyway, hope you liked the chapter! As I said before, the next few chapters are going to be off canon and will be a few stories of my own design. Sorry that the fight was a bit short, but it wasn't meant to be a fight on the level of the previous arc, more of just to introduce the OC Stand user under Myrcella. I don't usually do this Stand rank chart, but since it's an OC, I'll do it this once:**

 **Stand Name:** **Sting**

 **User:** **Saizo**

 **Destructive Power:** **C**

 **Range:** **A**

 **Speed:** **B**

 **Durability:** **D**

 **Precision:** **D**

 **Developmental Potential:** **C**

 **Power: Sting is a swarm type Stand, holding over three hundred tin birds at it's disposal. They can fly at incredible speeds and act together like a hivemind controlled by Saizo. A weakness they have, though, is that if faced with a problem that impedes their initial order, they must be reordered to continue with an attack.**

 **Each drone controlled by Saizo excretes a powerful Stand poison that disables any part of the body that it injects into. With the sheer number of drones, the could disable all functions of the body should they collectively pierce an enemy, effectively killing them in an instant.**

 **Saizo can imbue each of his drones with miasma, which is an effective tool to poison the likes of Devils and such in a fight should they be able to fight against the poison his Stand produces.**

 **And that's about it for his Stand info. Rather simple if you ask me, as I'm not the most original when it comes to making up Stand powers. I wouldn't mind any suggestions people have if they have something in mind, make a review or PM me with one and I'd be happy to take it into consideration!**

 **Before I end this, there is one note I want to leave with everyone: Someone was kind enough to make a TV Tropes page for this story, and has put in several entries. I'd be very happy if we could get some more people to help fill the page with more Tropes, as I think it's pretty cool seeing what people put as I'm very new to the sight. Give us some wiki love, guys! :)**

 **Alright, that's the end of this chapter! We had a few developments this chapter, and a special guest will be arriving very soon! Let's see what comes of this little visit! Alright everyone, have a good day and please leave a review, favorite and follow for me! Support is always appreciated!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own JoJo's Bizarre Adventure or Highschool DxD**

Chapter 18

Josuke stood patiently by the bus stop of his home, hands in his pockets as he tapped his foot. It was his day off from school, and so the club was planning to gather up at the old school building to figure out how to spend their free time. Rias decided to give the weekend off to her servants so that they might have a bit of time to relax after all the previous excitement. Josuke would usually already be there by now, but thanks to a call from Jotaro his initial plans had changed. His half nephew had been rather vague when he requested to meet for an apparently big favor, not giving Josuke much of a chance to answer before hanging up.

The tall teen had only sighed in response before walking to the bus stop near his home. Since Jotaro was planning to come by, Josuke decided they might as well meet halfway so that he could soon head to the clubroom once their business was done.

Josuke tapped his left arm with his index finger, feeling somewhat nervous over the one on one meeting with his family member. It wasn't that he didn't like Jotaro, he looked up to the veteran Stand user, in fact. It was for that reason, though, that he couldn't shake the small sense of apprehension about meeting him. Jotaro was a fairly intimidating individual, both in demeanor and expression. He was calm, collected, and always in a very serious state. Next to him, Josuke couldn't help but feel like he was looking at a superhero, almost. Jotaro was the type of person Josuke would want to disappoint the least and wouldn't mind relying on when in trouble.

 ***Splash***

"Ah! That scared me!" Josuke cried out in a rather unmanly way, jumping for a moment before whipping around. As usual, the small turtle in the public fountain was popping it's head up and down out of the water. Josuke took a moment to breath out, trying to relax somewhat. Just looking at the turtle creeped him out though, pursing his lips as he scooted a smidge further from the fountain. "Creepy, scaly, thing…"

"Look, daddy! There's a turtle in that fountain!" Josuke heard a very young girl cry out, turning slightly to see a rather excited six year old pass him by to gaze at the small reptile. She was a small black haired girl, though the bangs at the front and the ponytail in the back were bleached and highlighted blonde. She wore a black long sleeved tee with a spider web pattern on the chest and back with purple shorts and long black socks that went to her thighs.

"It's so cute!" the girl giggled, reaching into the fountain and petting the top of the turtle's head. Josuke smiled at her, finding the child adorable. That was until he felt a bit embarrassed, watching how carelessly she approached the turtle.

 _Great. Now I look like a wuss compared to a little kid…_ Josuke sheepishly thought, his eye twitching slightly as he continued to watch her.

"Josuke, good to see you." The tall teen's attention was quickly turned away from the child, turning his head around as the familiar gruff voice called out to him, eyes immediately landing on Jotaro as he approached.

"O-oh, hey, Jotaro-san!" Josuke quickly greeted, trying to act as casual as possible as he waved at the taller man. "So, you needed my help with something?"

"Yes. I hate to throw this on you at the last minute, but I don't have much choice." Jotaro admitted with a sigh, tilting his hat a bit over his eyes. "I have to meet with several contacts from the Speedwagon Foundation about possible leads on the Stand user you encountered."

"It's no problem, really. You've helped me out before, so I'd like to return the favor at least." Josuke admitted with a small smile, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "So what is it you need me to-"

"Da~d! Come look at the turtle!" The girl from before cried out, rushing past Josuke and grabbing Jotaro's hand.

 **(JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OST: Peaceful Street Corner)**

Josuke's eyes lit up, going wide in shock and jaw slacking slightly. He immediately turned his gaze to Jotaro in question, almost as if looking for confirmation of this child's lineage. To his further shock, Josuke only saw a casual sigh escape Jotaro as he rubbed the top of her head.

"In a moment, Jolyne. I want you to meet someone." Jotaro declared, glancing up at Josuke and paying no mind to the rather disbelieving face that the tall teen was making. "Josuke, this is my daughter, Jolyne."

…

…

…

" **D-daughter?!** " Josuke cried out as his shock came tumbling down all at once, unable to keep the outburst from escaping his lips. Understandably so, as Jotaro was rather young, in Josuke's opinion at least, to have a daughter. At least one that was her age. Not to mention that he couldn't see Jotaro being the type to actually date or become very intimate with a woman in the first place. He was always stoic and kept much of his emotions hidden or in check.

Finally, after regaining his bearings, the tall teen shook his head and cleared his throat. His outburst seemed to have scared little Jolyne a bit, who was now hiding behind her father, which filled Josuke with guilt. "S-sorry about that, i-it was just a bit of a shock…", _More like a_ _ **huge**_ _shock…_ , "I hadn't realized you were a father, Jotaro-san. Or that you were married."

"It's fine. I don't wear a ring for certain reasons." Jotaro rather vaguely answered, placing a hand behind his daughter's back and pushing her forward. "The favor I need is for you to watch Jolyne for the day. I know this is sudden, but my… wife decided to fly her up without giving me much notice, either."

"O-oh, I see…" Josuke muttered, glancing down at Jolyne to see that her eyes had suddenly became a bit saddened. "W-well, if you really need me to, I can't say no… I don't mind."

"Daddy, I don't wanna go with him…" Jolyne suddenly started to whine, tugging on her father's pants in annoyance and glaring cutely up at him. Jotaro could only sigh once more, kneeling in front of his daughter and rubbing the top of her head.

"I'm sorry, Jolyne. It can't be helped." Jotaro declared with a small amount of regret in his own voice. "Tomorrow, I promise to spend the day with you. But today, I have to work."

Jolyne groused, biting her bottom lip before quickly smacking his hand away. "Fine! I hate you anyway! Hurry up and leave, already!" She cried out, immediately running back toward the fountain to stare down at the turtle, though she paid it little mind as she trembled with bitterness. Jotaro only stared after his daughter, his usual scowl failing a bit as the neutral state of his lips fell into a frown. Josuke could only gulp after watching the scene, now realizing that Jotaro had been in Kuoh for quite some time, now. His daughter obviously missed him quite a bit. It must be rather hard that, right after seeing him, she was immediately being handed off to someone else. Part of him wanted to speak up, but he knew it wasn't his place to meddle in the father-daughter relationship.

"Uh… are you sure this is alright, Jotaro-san?" Josuke finally spoke, pulling his relative's attention to him. He may not meddle, but he'd at least offer an out to Jotaro.

"Like I said, it can't be helped." Jotaro sighed, pushing off his knee to stand once again. "I trust you'll take care of her. I'll pick her up tonight, I'll call you when I'm ready to come by."

"U-understood. I'll make sure to take care of her, don't worry." Josuke nodded in acceptance, despite the fact that he never really spent much time around little kids like this. Jotaro continued to stare at him, though, despite the reassurance and started to make the tall teen anxious. "I-is there something wrong?"

"... I don't mind if you bring Jolyne around your friends since I did inconvenience you like this. But…" Jotaro started to walk a bit closer, now suddenly invading Josuke's personal bubble and making him slightly recoil. If looks could kill, the expression that Jotaro now wore would kill an entire village, his hat shading one eye while the other peered into Josuke's soul, at least he thought. "That perverted best friend of yours. He wouldn't **do** anything to Jolyne, would he?"

Josuke couldn't stop himself from gulping, sweating bullets now as he held his hands up in surrender and laughed sheepishly. He had forgotten that Jotaro had witnessed Issei's now infamous Dress Break for himself. "O-of course not! I know Issei can be pretty bad, b-but it's only with girls around our age, a-and maybe older, too! He'd **never** get like that with your daughter, I swear!" Josuke quickly assured the overprotective father, his voice coming out rather panicked. Jotaro's eyes narrowed for a moment before suddenly grunting in acceptance, taking a step back and nodding.

"Fine. I'll trust you on that." Jotaro slowly turned around, beginning to walk away. Josuke took a sudden breath of relief, wiping his forehead of any remaining sweat. "Again, thank you for taking the time to watch her. I'll see you tonight."

"Y-yeah, see ya then…" Josuke answered with an awkward wave, glancing back at Jolyne. The toddler was still moping by the fountain, not even taking a moment to bid her father farewell. Gazing sideways back at Jotaro, he could see that the veteran Stand user was also looking to his daughter, most likely having a small struggle with himself over whether or not to say goodbye. After a moment, Jotaro finally turned away before leaving the two completely. _Must be pretty hard for both of them considering Jotaro's out looking for Stand users…_

Seeing no other option, Josuke strode toward Jolyne, stopping a few feet behind her. "H-hey, Jolyne-chan…"

The small girl peered at him from the side, her eyes narrowing in annoyance and pushing out her bottom lip before huffing irritably, turning her back to Josuke and crossing her arms. "Leave me alone."

"Er…" Josuke felt a bead of sweat on the back of his head, scratching his chin in thought for a moment. _I guess I can't blame her for being so cold. She doesn't even know me, and she's being put under my care. This is going to be a long day…_ "L-look, Jolyne-chan, I know that this was pretty sudden and that you wanted to spend time with your dad, but-"

"I **hate** him! He's always leaving me alone!" Jolyne burst out in a fit of anger, immediately causing a small, sympathetic frown to cross the teen's expression. His grandniece started to shake and whimper, eyes filling with angry tears. "He always leaves me and mommy alone… Even when I come to see him…"

"Jolyne-chan…" Josuke muttered, taking a step forward and reaching out toward the girl. Jolyne immediately recoiled, darting away from him and toward the street.

"Just leave me alone! I don't wanna be with you!" Jolyne cried out, speeding forward. Josuke's eyes widened in horror, dashing after her as fast as he could.

"Jolyne-chan! You're going to get hurt if you don't-" Josuke cried out as he reached after her. He could see in his peripherals that a car was approaching at high speed, something that his young relative didn't seem to notice. He ground his teeth anxiously, before summoning **Crazy Diamond** and having it grab Jolyne by the shirt and pull her back. Jotaro's daughter cried out in annoyance, struggling as the Stand tossed her back into Josuke's arms. The car flew by harmlessly, the tall teen thankful that the small girl was out of harm's way. He breathed a heavy sigh of relief, scratching the back of his head. "Jolyne-chan, you have to be more careful or you'll get-" A swift elbow to his jaw quickly shut Josuke up, the Stand user releasing a pained grunt as he dropped Jolyne from his hold and held his chin.

"Get away from me!" Jolyne cried out before running away once more. Josuke cursed as she ran across the street, no cars in sight this time. He immediately gave chase, rubbing the soreness from his chin as he kept a watchful eye on the child. She finally stopped at the park where Issei would often train with Rias, going into the giant shell that stood over the sand and hiding beneath it.

Despite the pain in Josuke's chin and the anxiety attack Jolyne gave him when almost getting hit by a car, the purple haired teen felt no anger or frustration toward the little girl. All he felt was sympathy toward her situation. Josuke just wanted to make her feel better, and hopefully get her to at least not hate him. They got off to a rather shaky start, but he would take time to mend it if he could.

Knowing that Jolyne was still hiding beneath the standing shell, Josuke had slowed to a walk, his feet carrying him through the sand box. He could hear the quiet whine coming from beneath it, his eyes slacking slightly as he got closer. "Go away…" The weak voice of Jolyne forced out. Josuke didn't bother peeking inside, instead turning around and taking a seat on the ground, relaxing his back against the shell and resting an elbow on his knee.

"You know Jolyne-chan, your dad loves you a lot." Josuke suddenly said, not bothering to look inside as he spoke.

"No, he doesn't…" Jolyne whined in response, her words hitting Josuke right in the heart. "He always goes on long trips, even when I'm sick…"

"Jotaro-san's job is really important, Jolyne-chan. He helped me and my friends out a lot by coming here. And in the little time that he has been here, I can tell… he's not good at showing his emotions to anyone. I'm sure that even you can see that, too." Josuke continued, glancing back at the shell he was relaxing against. He then smirked and held up his index finger. "But there is ~one~ way I was able to tell how much he loves you."

Jolyne was quiet at this, at first attempting to resist Josuke's bait of a statement. After another moment, the tiny girl peeked her eyes out from the shell to look at Josuke. "What?"

Josuke smirked for a split second before dramatically sighing, turning his head away and rubbing his neck. "You know, I guess it **is** kinda a secret… maybe I shouldn't say…"

"Tell me." Jolyne growled cutely, punching Josuke lightly in the shoulder.

"Perhaps it's best for you to see it for yourself, Jolyne-chan. I don't want to give you all the answers, after all…" Josuke crossed his arms, sticking his nose up in the air while hiding a smirk from the youngest of the Joestar bloodline. Jolyne suddenly burst out from the shell like a snake thrusting forward from its tunnel, lightly pounding her fists into Josuke's chest over and over again.

"Tell me tell me tell me tell me~!" Jolyne cried out, her voice carrying a bit of annoyance but with a slight hint of amusement. Josuke laughed as he was being assaulted, holding his arms up in surrender.

"Alright, alright! I guess I can tell you, but you have to keep it a secret from your dad!" Josuke negotiated, picking Jolyne up by her hips and setting her in front of him. The girl sat criss cross, crossing her arms and sticking out her bottom lip.

"Fine! But you better tell me!" Jolyne demanded, her attitude quickly returning. Josuke rolled his eyes before offering a smile and a nod.

"Alright, the secret to knowing is… in his eyes." Josuke declared, pausing for a moment for dramatic effect. Jolyne tilted her head in confusion, unable to understand what he meant. "You see, Jotaro-san is always walking around with this tough and rocky exterior, looking at everyone like they were a suspect in some sort of crime." He began to elaborate, trying to give a good idea of how he saw Jotaro's permanent scowl. Surprisingly enough, Jolyne understood this comparison, nodding her head quickly. "But when he was with you? It was like he was an entirely different person."

Jolyne scowled at this, casting her gaze away and grumbling. "He looks at me like everyone else…"

"No he doesn't. Perhaps it might seem that way to you because you're his daughter, but I saw it the moment you grabbed his hand." Josuke declared, immediately grabbing Jolyne's attention back. "His eyes become a bit softer and you can practically see a sparkle in them. Like you were the light of his life, and he would do **anything** to protect that light." Jolyne's cheeks started to burn bright, a small smile crossing her tiny lips.

"Y-you really think so..?"

"Jolyne-chan, I know so." Josuke confidently said, placing a hand against his chest with a broad grin. "And because Jotaro-san was willing to put you in my hands means that he is trusting me with the one thing he treasures most. It's honestly a lot of pressure, but I'll take care of you, no matter what." the tall teen declared proudly, reaching out and placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Can you give me a chance?"

Jolyne meekly looked up at Josuke, looking at him with a newfound outlook. She tilted her head down in thought, giving the idea a moment to swim around before nodding. "Okay… I'm sorry…" She accepted, now looking up at him with guilt. "I'm sorry I hit you…"

"It's alright, Jolyne-chan. I guess I surprised you a bit. But don't scare me by running off like that again, okay?" Josuke lightly scolded his grandniece, standing up from the sandbox and offering a hand to help her up. Jolyne bit her bottom lip before accepting, allowing herself to be pulled up. "Good. Now, why don't we go and meet my friends? They'd definitely love to see you."

"They would?" Jolyne blinked, the two now walking forward hand in hand.

"Of course they would! They're really nice, don't worry." Josuke assured gently. "Oh, but they might be a bit surprised to know who your dad is, so be prepared for that reaction."

* * *

Josuke slowly pushed the door to the clubroom open, keeping Jolyne somewhat hidden behind his frame as he peeked in. "Hey, guys. Sorry I'm late."

"Ah, Josuke-kun. You're actually right on time to eat. Come and join us." Rias called out to the tall teen, a slice of pizza in her hand. The entire club was there with a stack of pizza boxes in the middle along with several bottles of soda on the table next to a tower of paper plates and napkins.

"Your meeting with Jotaro-san took quite some time, didn't it?" Akeno giggled as she walked over with a plate already made for Josuke. Jolyne could smell the pie in the air, drool dripping at the edge of her lips. Josuke chuckled and took the plate before opening the door wider, allowing Jolyne to be seen and walk in on her own.

"I'll make another plate. Here." Josuke handed the pizza over to the small Jolyne who smiled giddily and took it with gratitude. Immediately everyone stopped what they were doing, now staring at the small girl accompanying the Stand user. Josuke held his laughter in, guiding Jolyne into the room further so that the others could get a clear view of the girl.

"Josuke… who is this little kid and why is she with you?" Issei immediately asked, pointing at Jolyne. The youngest girl blushed at the sudden attention, hiding behind her tall relative's legs from their curious gazes.

"Guys, this is Jolyne-chan. She's-"

"Ara ara, how shocking~!" Akeno suddenly gasped with a hand over her mouth, before Josuke could finish. "I didn't know you were into that kind of thing, Josuke…"

"Disgusting…" Koneko quietly spoke from behind one of the couches, though the petite girl looked a tad amused if you looked at her eyes a bit closer.

"Oh lord, please forgive my brother for his strange fetis-ow!" Asia winced as she attempted to pray.

"Whoa, Josuke, I never woulda guessed somethin' like that. I thought I knew you better…" Okuyasu hummed in thought, holding his chin as he glanced down at the hiding girl. Josuke's eye twitched as it seemed that the entire club had gotten a very **wrong** and presumptuous impression.

"Do **not** even joke like that! Seriously!" Josuke cried out in annoyance, a tick mark appearing on his head as amused smiles were lazily hidden from his view. He ground his teeth for a moment before huffing, gently guiding Jolyne in front of him by the shoulders. "Back to what I was **saying** , this is Jolyne-chan. She's Jotaro-san's daughter."

Complete silence filled the room, all eyes immediately going wide, like they had just heard the true meaning of life had escaped Josuke's lips. Jolyne blinked at this, waiting for them to respond in some way or another.

"... **What**?!" Rias, Issei and Okuyasu blurted finally, the others remaining speechless save for Asia who seemed to smile with mirth, apparently taking the news rather well. Initially, Josuke would have enjoyed their reactions, but after they had tilted him with their previous assumptions, he could only sigh and grumble.

"Wh-when and how?!" Issei stammered out first, shakily pointing at Jolyne.

"Alright, don't act so excited. You're making her nervous." Josuke admonished, noticing that Jolyne was backing up into his legs after receiving so much attention. Asia was quick to walk forward before kneeling in front of Jolyne, offering a comforting smile.

"I'm sorry if we scared you, Jolyne-chan. I'm Asia Argento, it's nice to meet you." Her words seemed to soothe the toddler, Jolyne relaxing and smiling back at the blonde.

"Nice to meet you…"

"I do apologize for our outburst, Jolyne-chan." Rias added, walking up next to Asia and smiling fondly down at the youngest of the Joestar bloodline.

"Please come and join us, Jolyne-chan. I can make you a drink if you like." Akeno added this time, walking over to the center table and filling a cup with soda. Koneko silently joined the rest of the girls while Josuke slowly backed away, allowing her to get to know them for herself before walking around the crowd to stand by the men of the club.

"You're all really pretty…" Jolyne admitted with a tinge of red in her cheeks, releasing a small giggle. Asia and Rias cooed, the red head reaching out and wrapping her arms around Jolyne snugly and squeezing her against her chest.

"So cute…" Koneko muttered from behind the girls, tempted to join them.

"I still can't believe Jotaro-san has a daughter… that was pretty shocking…" Okuyasu quietly muttered to the boys, rubbing the back of his head to massage the pain from thinking away.

"Jotaro-san didn't strike me as a family man, either. So this is what you met with him for?" Kiba inquired this time, looking to Josuke for answers.

"Yeah. Apparently his wife flew her down without telling him until the last second, and he had to meet with some of his contacts today, so he needed me to watch her." Josuke summarized for the others, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I figured it'd be good to bring her by and meet everyone."

"She looks so sweet. I would expect a daughter of his to look all grave and serious like Jotaro-san." Issei chuckled, crossing his arms as he watched the girls bring Jolyne over to the couches and sit her down.

"I didn't expect him to have a daughter at all, honestly." Josuke admitted with a shrug before glancing at Issei. "Which reminds me… don't you do **anything** pervy around or in front of Jolyne-chan, got it? In fact, keep a good distance from her. Jotaro-san will have my head if anything happens, and if he does, I'll have **yours**." He promised eerily, causing his best friend to sweat a bit and hold his hands up in surrender.

"Y-yeah, no problem… you can trust me, don't worry…" Issei laughed weakly as he spoke, knowing that testing such a thing would be out of the question.

"Oh!" Rias suddenly spoke, reaching into her skirt pocket and pulling out her cellphone. "I should let Sona know about this. She's going to freak out when she hears this." She giggled, tapping her best friend and rival's number into the phone.

"Who's Sona?" Jolyne asked, tilting her head in confusion. She hadn't realized that she'd be meeting so many people in one day, even if she was more comfortable now.

"She's a big fan of your father's work." Akeno explained, thinking it might be enough to satisfy the toddler. Jolyne blinked for a moment before releasing a long 'oh!'

"Daddy's work is so boring, though. All he does is talk about fish." Jolyne huffed, cheeks puffing up indignantly.

"Hello, Sona. Just calling to give you a small heads up..." Rias said as she heard her friend answer her call. "... No, no, it's not an emergency, well to us at least. I was wondering if you would like to come to the clubroom for a visit. After all, Jotaro-san's daughter is here with us." She waited for a response, but received no immediate answer, tilting her head in question. "Sona, are you there?"

A flash of light suddenly shone from behind the front door of the clubroom before it suddenly flew open, causing the others to jump as Sona walked in. She seemed like her usual expressionless self, light glaring off her glasses. The only giveaway to the emotions she kept in check were her cheeks, bright red with excitement. "I've come to confirm your words. Where is she?" Sona suddenly stopped when her bespectacled eyes landed on Jolyne, the youngest of the Joestar bloodline blinking in shock. The glint in Sona's glasses faded away as her eyes shined, slowly walking forward before crouching in front of Jolyne.

"Um… hi…" Jolyne hesitantly greeted, withering slightly under her gaze. Sona's gaze was rather intense as she watched Jolyne closely, only a moment later offering a small, kind smile, her eyes visibly softening.

"Hello there. I'm assuming you're Jotaro-san's daughter? What's your name?" Sona spoke, her voice coming out rather gently, her former facade melting away before their eyes. Jolyne seemed comforted by this, slowly smiling back and nodding.

"Jolyne. Who are you?" The child responded kindly, placing her hands behind her back.

"I'm Sona Sitri. I'm Rias' close friend and an associate of your father. It's truly a pleasure to meet you for myself." Sona declared, raising her hand forward to shake. Jolyne started to relax, raising her tiny hand and shaking with Sona.

"Well at least she didn't have a meltdown." Josuke chuckled for a second, only to be immediately silenced by a stern glare from Sona upon hearing him, causing the Stand user to sweat drop.

"It seems like we have a few extra guests today." Kiba chuckled, leaning his back against the wall. "Perhaps we should celebrate this new meeting by going out somewhere?"

"That's a wonderful idea, Kiba." Rias agreed with a small smile, placing a hand on her hip as she glanced around the room. "Why don't we take little Jolyne-chan to the beach? I have a private spot of my own we could use."

"R-really?! The beach?!" Issei proclaimed excitedly, Okuyasu gulping at the thought as well as a dumb grin crossed his face.

"Th-that sounds fun, but I don't know if my heart can take it…" Okuyasu admitted, his thoughts already running rampant about the many different possibilities of swimwear that his rather busty female friends might wear.

"No." Josuke said with conviction, brow furrowing sternly as he glared at the two.

"You don't think it's a good idea?" Akeno tilted her head in question, a bit remiss that her hopes of showing off her stuff in front of Josuke would be dashed away so quickly.

"Sorry, but I don't want Jolyne-chan being subjected to Issei's absurd luck around you girls." Josuke immediately dismissed with a wave, walking up to Jolyne as if preparing to protect her. "Last thing she needs to see is him…" He looked down at the girl for a second before putting his hands on her ears. "Getting all handsy with each other. Forget what Jotaro-san would do, I'd get pretty mad, too."

"Hey! What are you saying?!" Jolyne complained with puffed up cheeks, hating the fact that she was being shielded from their talk.

"Eh~, how disappointing…" Akeno hummed, puffing her lips out and hugging her arms under her ample breasts. "The beach sounds like a lot of fun right now…"

"What a shame. And it's such a nice day…" Rias sighed before shrugging. "Well, nothing we can do about it. Josuke's the one in charge of taking care of her, so he gets the final word."

"Damn it…" Issei grumbled, visibly deflating as his shoulders slumped forward in disappointment. Josuke rolled his eyes at this, taking his hands off of Jolyne's ears and allowing her to hear again. The toddler fumed slightly, lightly jabbing her elbow into his gut, though he didn't seem to take notice.

"As much as I wish I could join you, I must return to my duties." Sona sighed, pushing up her glasses as she started to act professional once again. "I left Tsubaki rather suddenly in the middle of our work, so it would be rather unbecoming if I were to continue to procrastinate. But thank you for informing me of her arrival, Rias." She then smiled before leaning down and rubbing Jolyne on top of her head. "I hope that we may meet again, Jolyne-chan. I'm sure you will have a lot of fun with everyone here."

"It was nice meeting you, Sona-san." Jolyne grinned back, waving goodbye as Sona stood straight again and departed from the club.

"Oh! I have an idea!" Asia suddenly spoke, though she somewhat wilted when all eyes fell on her. "I-I mean… something we can do with Jolyne-chan."

"I'm interested to hear, Asia. What's your idea?" Josuke spoke up with a small smile, waiting expectantly for her input.

"We could do the same thing the three of us did on our day out together." Asia suggested, Josuke's words giving her more confidence as she glanced from him to Issei. The two boys lit up in understanding before grinning at the others.

* * *

"Who~a…" Jolyne marveled as she was lead into the dimly lit arcade, games shining and exploding with music and sound effects. The club had come to the agreement of going to the arcade, all changing from their school uniforms to more casual attire. Issei wore a simple combination of a khaki button up shirt with a red tee under and jeans. Kiba seemed happy to stay in his school clothes, only removing his jacket. Josuke and Okuyasu wore their usual uniforms, seeing their outfits as their own casual attire. Rias decided on a white sundress that went to the middle of her thighs with leather sandals. Akeno wore short shorts and a pink short sleeved tee shirt with the word 'MAX' bolded on across the chest, also in sandals. Koneko wore a white tank top over a short sleeved black shirt, wearing mid thigh high shorts and long black leg socks that stopped above her knees, her feet hidden away in sneakers. Asia wore a simple yellow blouse and skirt combo with a white undershirt and a sunhat on top of her head.

"Man, this place is big. I think I was only here when I was little with my bro, but I barely remember it…" Okuyasu admitted with a bit of awe as well.

"We had so much fun here when Issei and Josuke brought me. I thought it only made sense." Asia giggled, happy to see that her suggestion was accepted by everyone.

"I've never been very big on video games, but a few once in awhile isn't bad." Rias smiled, glancing around to find something she might enjoy.

"Good call, Asia-chan. Jolyne-chan seems to agree." Josuke chuckled, glancing down at the toddler. Jolyne blinked before looking up at Josuke. She suddenly blushed, crossing her arms and puffing her cheeks up.

"I-I guess it looks cool…" Jolyne huffed, trying to act tough. She seemed to think that she was too lenient back at the clubroom, and was attempting to play hard to get regarding the tall teen. Asia was quick to grab Jolyne's hands though, pulling her further into the arcade excitedly.

"Come on, Jolyne-chan! There are a lot of fun games here you can try!" Asia exclaimed, almost causing the toddler to stumble from how fast she was being pulled along.

"I'm going to the fighting games." Koneko declared suddenly, glancing up at Josuke. "Want to play?"

"I would, but I feel like I shouldn't take my eyes off of Jolyne-chan, even if she's with Asia. Sorry." Josuke sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"It's okay." Koneko smiled reassuringly before turning to the section containing fighting games.

"You're a good babysitter, that's for sure." Rias giggled before quickly wrapping her arms around Issei's left, pulling him forward. "Come on, Issei. You're good at games, right? Show me how to play some of them."

"A-ah! Of course!" Issei sheepishly chuckled, cheeks immediately reddening as he was towed along.

"Oi, Koneko-chan! I'll be your opponent!" Okuyasu called out, walking after the petite devil.

"I would like to see this. Okuyasu most likely doesn't know, but Koneko-chan is quite good at video games." Kiba declared with a chuckle, giving Josuke a nod and following after where Okuyasu and Koneko were browsing through games.

"Everyone dispersed pretty fast, huh?" Josuke chuckled, glancing at Akeno. "You going to look for a game to play as well?"

"I'm quite fine sticking with you and Jolyne-chan. Like Rias, I'm not big on video games." Akeno admitted with a shrug, crossing her arms behind her back. "So try and take care of me while we're here, okay?" She giggled, giving him a suggestive wink.

"Hey, remember what I said. No funny business in front of Jolyne-chan, okay?" Josuke sighed, almost pleading with Akeno to be good. The raven haired devil just laughed, nodding in acceptance.

"So then after she's gone, it's okay to make such comments and advances? I'll remember that later~!" Akeno sang out, not waiting for Josuke's reply to that as she turned to walk to where Asia and Jolyne were currently standing.

"Wh-what?! N-no, that's not what I…" Josuke attempted to protest, groaning a bit as he was casually ignored before sighing in defeat. He soon followed, joining the three by the prize table. Asia and Jolyne were gazing around at the many different toys and devices on display for them to see.

"I want that one!" Jolyne pointed toward a butterfly plushie, one marked for six hundred tickets.

"It's so cute! We should try and win tickets to get it!" Asia suggested to the three, her smile bright enough to put the sun to shame. "Josuke-nii, what games should we play?"

"Well, there are a couple ticket winners to choose from…" Josuke hummed, glancing around the arcade before landing on a small basketball hoop game. "Let's try that one. I'm not great with ball sports, but the arcade version is pretty easy by comparison."

"Okay!" Jolyne nodded, quickly reaching up and grabbing his hand to pull him forward. Josuke allowed this, him and Asia walking with Jolyne in the middle, similar to parents being pulled around by their child. Akeno could only giggle, following after the three silently as she made no comment on the scene. There were three basketball games available for them to play, The toddler released their hands as she jumped to the first one she could. Josuke pulled out a cup of coins, having paid for their tokens already, and started up each of the stalls.

"Remember, soon as the balls roll forward, you have to try and score as many times as possible before the time runs out." Josuke informed the two girls, each nodding firmly as they prepared for the game to start. Josuke then turned to Akeno, motioning to the last of the hoop spots. "You can go ahead and play, I'm going to try and help Jolyne out if I can."

"Okay, then. Though I'm not sure how good I'll do at this either." Akeno admitted, waiting for the timer to tick down for the balls to drop. At zero, the basketballs rolled down. Asia and Jolyne greedily reached forward and began to take shots. Akeno took her time, grabbing a ball and trying to aim more on target. This would have been a good idea for the other girls, Asia making small tosses that were far off course. Jolyne seemed to know how to actually shoot the basketball, but was making very lame shots that could barely reach the rim. Akeno was having better luck, making several shots but, by going slow, wasn't scoring very high.

"Come on, girls! You can do it!" Josuke encouraged them with a goofy grin, watching the three continue to make shots. To his side, he heard some snickering, glancing to the side to see two boys watching the girls play. They were especially interested in Akeno and Asia's movements, their chests bouncing up and down with each shot. Josuke could only sigh before turning a rather fierce glare their way, giving them the obvious message to get lost. A buzzer soon went off to alert the players that the game was now over, Josuke turning back to see two tickets each popping out of Asia and Jolyne's machine. Seven came out of Akeno's, who tilted her head in question as she looked back at Jolyne.

"Sorry, Jolyne-chan. It doesn't look like I could get us very much." Akeno apologized, seeing both her and Asia's crestfallen looks at only receiving two tickets. Jolyne pouted for a moment before scrunching her brow and growling cutely.

"Again!" She cried out, stuffing her tickets away before turning back to the machine. Josuke chuckled, putting several tokens in her machine before handing some to Asia and Akeno.

"We'll get some more this time!" Asia declared with quiet determination, her voice still too frail to come out very strong.

"Want me to help you out this time, Jolyne-chan?" Josuke asked, walking up behind the toddler and picking her up under the arms without warning. She squirmed a bit in surprise but blinked as he sat her on his shoulders. "There. Now you can see the hoop better and I can pass you the basketballs."

"O~h, okay!" Jolyne nodded, eyes sparkling in amazement now that she was so high. The game soon started, and Josuke immediately picked a ball up before passing it to Jolyne, the toddler snatching it before taking a shot. She missed the first basket, but Josuke was quick to pick up another and hand it over. Jolyne took another shot, this time making it in. The youngest of the Joestar line grinned with excitement, eagerly taking another ball from Josuke and making another shot. She seemed to be going on a roll, making each shot successively.

"Amazing, Jolyne-chan! You're doing great!" Asia cheered her on from the side.

"Ara ara, aren't they such a good team?" Akeno giggled, crossing her arms under her chest as she watched them go. _Josuke-kun is very good with children, it seems._

Finally, the buzzer for the end of the game went off. Jolyne and Josuke hooted as tickets started to pour out of the feeder, the tall teen reaching up and high fiving his grandniece. "Good job, Jolyne-chan! That was awesome!"

"Thanks! You're the best, Josuke!" Jolyne giggled, hugging the top of his head. Josuke chuckled in response, reaching up and taking the small girl off his shoulders and setting her down on the ground.

"How many tickets did we get?" Josuke inquired, crouching next to the machine as Jolyne snatched them up eagerly to count.

"We got twenty here! We just have to keep playing!" The toddler exclaimed, earning a small sweat drop from Josuke.

"That… might take too many tries, Jolyne-chan. I think there are other games we can play that will be able to get us tickets quicker than that." Josuke suggested, standing up and looking around. "Oh, let's try the skee ball game! I've seen people get tons of tickets from doing those!"

"Okay!" Jolyne nodded excitedly, rushing past him to the game machine a ways down from them.

"Jolyne-chan, careful! Don't go far by yourself!" Asia called out before chasing after the toddler in worry. Josuke chuckled as he watched them, knowing she wasn't going anywhere far enough for him to be cautious.

"You're very good with Jolyne-chan." Akeno spoke, grabbing Josuke's attention before he could walk forward. "Have you worked with children before?"

"Not really. I'm just doing what feels like the right way to treat her is, you know?" Josuke shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"You really are just a natural then, hm?" Akeno giggled, placing a hand over her mouth and giving him a suggestive look. "I think you'll make quite the father some day."

Akeno was expecting him to take it as he usually did, either freaking out nervously or shrugging it off. Instead, her words seemed to make Josuke frown somewhat, the tall teen's eyelids lowering. He reached up and scratched the back of his neck, looking away from Akeno to nothing in particular. "I don't know if I really want kids, actually… I'd… hate to disappoint them..."

Akeno blinked in surprise at his response, seeing a more solemn side to Josuke than she ever expected to see from him aside from grave situations. "Josuke-kun?"

"Josuke~! Come on, let's play!" Jolyne suddenly called, pulling them out of their current conversation. Jolyne's voice seemed to bring the tall teen's mood back to normal, Josuke smiling as he waved and nodded.

"Coming, coming." He then looked back at Akeno and waved for her to follow. "Come on, let's not keep them waiting."

"A-ah, of course." Akeno nodded, hesitating only for a second before following after him. The moment may have been brief, but Akeno had almost immediately understood why Josuke had said such. She was in a similar situation as he was, after all. Though she knew they were drastically different in detail. _He doesn't hate his father, but… I suppose it affected him in other ways._

"Ah, Koneko-chan. Are you guys done with the fighting games already?" Josuke spoke as they were now approached by their three companions who had left them earlier, Okuyasu looking pouty as he approached.

"Okuyasu was a weak opponent." Koneko bluntly stated, the punk teen wincing at her words.

"She was really good at juggle combos. She destroyed me…" Okuyasu grumbled in defeat, rubbing his head sheepishly.

"You tried your best at least, Okuyasu-san." Kiba chuckled, patting him on the shoulder. "What are all of you trying out?"

"We wanna get tickets!" Jolyne exclaimed, jumping up and down. "I wanna get a really big prize, but…" She became somewhat crestfallen, puffing out her bottom lip. "It needs a lot… and it would take forever to get them…"

"Well, if a few of us try all together, then we might be able to get it faster than you'd think, Jolyne-chan." Josuke reassured, rubbing the top of her head.

"You want me to get it?" Koneko suddenly spoke up, causing the others to pause and look at the petite girl. "I can do it."

"You can?" Jolyne blinked before nodding vigorously. "Please do! You'd be the coolest ever!" The girl giggled, a sparkling smile that caused Koneko to internally swoon, her cheeks slightly reddened.

 _So cute…_ "... okay, I'll get it." Koneko nodded in acceptance, straightening out and holding her hand out to Josuke. "Tokens."

"Oh, yeah, sure." Josuke handed the cup to Koneko, who walked over to the three skee ball machines and put coins in all of their slots. The others blinked as she did so, falling in line behind to watch, Jolyne's eyes shining a bit as she pressed her back into Josuke's legs. Each machine counted down to start, the furthest left dropping wooden balls first. Koneko was quick, grabbing the first ball and immediately rolling it up with great precision. The ball rolled into the highest scoring slot, the numbers on the board shooting up. Koneko didn't take another shot at the same stall, moving to the next as the buzzer sounded and repeated her previous toss. Once again, she hit the jackpot slot, the machine blaring with celebration.

"Holy crap! Koneko-chan's amazing!" Okuyasu blurted out in complete shock, his jaw slacking. He wasn't the only one, Jolyne, Asia, and Josuke giving open mouthed grins as they watched the petite girl continue to move back and forth between machines.

"She's so cool~!" Jolyne exclaimed, jumping up and down excitedly, Koneko never slowing down as the time ticked away.

"It seems all arcade games are within her area of expertise." Kiba chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"That's our little kitten for you." Akeno giggled, as impressed as the others by the apparent tenacity Koneko had for arcade games. Finally, the skee ball machines stopped the game, tickets now pouring forward from each Koneko gave a small smile, turning back to Jolyne only to find the toddler running up and hugging her waist.

"You're the best, Koneko-san!" The toddler's words made the petite girl's eyes sparkle with love, for a moment she considered taking the girl and hiding her someplace safe from the world of evils around them. A pat on the head soon brought her back from her imagination, glancing up at Josuke as he rubbed the top of her head.

"You're pretty **great** , Koneko-chan. Thanks." He chuckled, the white haired devil puffing her cheeks up in response before whacking his hand away.

"I told you to stop that. I'm not Asia… or Jolyne-chan." Koneko huffed quietly, turning her head away from the tall teen. Josuke felt a sweat drop form on the back of his head, unsure how to respond before scratching his cheek. "I have to win a few more, Jolyne-chan."

"Okay!" Jolyne nodded, immediately releasing her and taking a few steps back. From there, Koneko went on to earn twice the amount of tickets required, deciding to get a few extra toys to spoil her new favorite child with.

* * *

"That was pretty fun." Josuke chuckled as the club finally returned to the old school building, towing Jolyne next to him. His grandniece was hugging the butterfly plush tightly to her chest, though her eyes were beginning to drift close to sleep.

"I had a lot of fun…" Jolyne smiled despite her encroaching fatigue. She looked up at Josuke with a loving grin and a small giggle. "Thank you, Josuke…" She then looked back at his friends. "Thank you all for spending time with me."

"Of course, Jolyne-chan! It'd be great if you were to spend more time with us in the future!" Asia giggled with a sincere smile.

"You're always welcome to come back and say hello." Rias added, leading the way and opening the door for everyone to enter after her.

"That'd be really fun…" Jolyne mumbled, her eyes starting to become heavier by the second. Josuke didn't waste another moment, scooping her up in his arms and carrying her in. Jolyne instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, keeping the plush in hand as she did so.

"You guys sure had fun. Sorry Rias dragged me off." Issei chuckled, only for Josuke to shake his head.

"We didn't need everyone watching her. I think she got plenty of attention." Josuke shrugged, walking over to the couches and laying Jolyne on the pillows.

"It was nice to have time to ourselves." Rias giggled, glancing at Asia with a raised brow. "I'm surprised you didn't try to intervene."

"It was okay. I was having so much fun with little Jolyne-chan." Asia admitted with sincere smile. "I really hope Jotaro-san will bring her back again."

"It's doubtful as long as our enemies are around. But perhaps if we're lucky, once it's all settled, we can see Jolyne-chan again." Akeno suggested, glancing down at the sleeping child.

"Jotaro-san should be here, soon. He texted me on our way back and said he'd pick her up from here." Josuke informed them,

"I can't believe somethin' so cute came from a guy like Jotaro-san." Okuyasu chuckled, holding his chin in thought. "Not like he's bad or anythin', he's just always so serious."

"You're right. It is mysterious." Okuyasu jumped in shock as the voice of Jotaro entered the room. The veteran Stand user entered far more silently than a man of his size was expected to be, walking past the couch and ignoring Okuyasu's apologetic stammering. "How was she?"

"She was just great, Jotaro-san. We had a lot of fun with her today." Josuke smiled, picking Jolyne up from the couch and walking over to Jotaro. His technical nephew took her without hesitation, his permanent scowl softening somewhat as he did so. The tall teen smiled, seeing that light in Jotaro's eyes that he had identified to Jolyne earlier that day. He hadn't been lying when he told the toddler, and it reassured him to see it once more.

"I see. Thank you again for taking care of her. And to all of you for being willing to watch her along with him." Jotaro said, glancing around the room to look at the Devils.

"It was no problem, Jotaro-san. We'd be happy to see her sometime soon if it's possible." Rias declared, Asia nodding in agreement rather vigorously. Jotaro glanced at the red head and sighed.

"With all that's going on in this town, I don't know how soon I'd be willing to bring her back, if at all." Jotaro admitted, causing the teens around him to frown somewhat in disappointment. "But… seeing how content she looks… I'll think about it." There was no hiding the fact that Jolyne was smiling, even in her sleep, as she cuddled further into his arms. "I'll see you all later." He bid farewell.

Josuke watched Jotaro as he left, a conflict waging within his mind and heart. With a sigh, he walked after them, closing the clubroom door as he exited. "Jotaro-san? There's something I… wanted to talk to you about before you go."

The veteran Stand user stopped where he stood, glancing back to regard Josuke. "What is it?"

Suddenly feeling his gaze, Josuke felt himself gulp as he now struggled to say what he wanted. Taking a second to relax and breathe out, he furrowed his brow and met Jotaro's eyes with his own blue orbs. "Jotaro-san… I don't want to sound like I'm scolding you or that I know better than you since you're older, but… regarding Jolyne-chan…"

Jotaro didn't respond immediately, his expression still blank as he watched his relative expectantly. "Go ahead and say it. It's fine." Jotaro finally spoke, almost as if guessing exactly what Josuke had to say. The tall teen nodded, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"It's obvious to me that you care a lot about Jolyne-chan. I can honestly tell how much you love her." Josuke began, his voice even as he spoke. "But Jolyne-chan… she's young. She can't see it like I can. It's really hard for her to see it. She thinks that… you don't really care. I know you were busy today and I'm not saying it's your fault, but at first… Jolyne thought you handed her to me because you didn't want to see her."

Jotaro's eyes were shaded by his hat now, his head tilting somewhat as Josuke continued, though it could be seen that he was now looking at Jolyne. "I know, Josuke… I know she can't tell." Jotaro responded after some time, his eyes revealing as he turned his body to look at Josuke. "I'm not good at expressing my emotions. I know that full well. It's why… me and Jolyne's mother are separated."

"O-oh… I-I'm sorry to hear that, Jotaro-san…" Josuke apologized, now feeling somewhat guilty that the conversation was going in this direction.

Jotaro only shook his head, glancing back up at Josuke. "We had rushed into the marriage. I had tried to make things work, but I think that it wasn't really meant to be. Perhaps I was never meant to be with someone in the first place. But even so… we still had Jolyne…" Jotaro stroked his daughter's hair, releasing a heavy sigh. "Even if things with my wife fall apart… Jolyne will always be my most precious treasure."

Josuke smiled after hearing Jotaro's true feelings, but quickly straightened back out and nodded. "I know you mean that, Jotaro-san. But I think, whenever your business is done here or if you just bring Jolyne back to Kuoh, that you have to try and show her that. I know that it's hard for you to show how much you care, but I think just paying more attention to Jolyne-chan and spending time with her will be enough. If you do that, she'll definitely start to see it for herself."

Jotaro was silent for a long moment, considering Josuke's advice, before finally nodding. "Alright. I'll try and do that for her." He accepted and without another word, he turned to finally depart. "Thank you again, Josuke. For everything you did today."

"No problem, Jotaro-san." Josuke smiled, turning back to the clubroom and opening the door. Of course, everyone was now standing there, having been listening to their conversation. Josuke could only sweat drop. "Really, guys?"

"Do you think Jotaro-san got the message? It's hard to read his responses." Issei cut to the chase, scratching the back of his head. Josuke glanced back down the hall from which Jotaro had left, giving a small smile.

"I think he did."

* * *

Jotaro buckled his sleeping daughter into a child seat in the back of his rental car, trying to be careful not to wake her. Once he was done, Jotaro straightened to close the door, only stopping when he heard his daughter start to rouse with a groan.

"Daddy...?" Jolyne muttered, not bothering to open her eyes as she spoke.

"Go back to sleep. We'll be back at the hotel room soon." Jotaro spoke quietly, not wanting to wake her up any further.

"Where's… Josuke?" She asked tiredly, her words starting to become quieter as she was fading back to sleep.

"He's with his friends. They said they had a fun time with you." Jotaro told her, rubbing the top of Jolyne's head.

"I did too…" Jolyne smiled softly as she felt his hand massage her scalp. "Can I… come back and play with them again?"

Jotaro raised a brow at this, considering her words for a moment. Logic told him that it would be best not to get her hopes up, that he should tell her it would be unlikely. But seeing that smile on her face warmed his heart, making it impossible for him to say straight out. Besides, as long as things went well against Myrcella, why not?

"... Sure. I'll bring you back to Kuoh so you can play with them again."

* * *

"So Jotaro Kujo has a daughter, huh?" Saizo hummed from his seat, knees pulled up to his chest. "That's a surprise. I guess no one was really keeping track of his activities these past years though, huh?"

"There's a reason for that." Myrcella interjected, crossing her arms and sighing. "Heaven and Hell put out a clear message to both Devils and Angels: The Joestar family is not to be touched while they are alive. No one from either community may attempt to force them into servitude or kill them. They would bring about the wrath of the Archangels and the Maou."

"Just for one family? Seems like a bit of overkill." Her queen chuckled, strumming his guitar. "And if that's true, how come nothing was done when it was discovered that Josuke Higashikata was related to them?"

"The Joestar family is considered a modern day lineage of heroes. There are so few of those left, they are given special treatment." Myrcella answered, leaning against the wall. "As for Higashikata, it's most likely because his meeting with the Devils was by chance rather than by force. It hadn't come out that he was related until well into establishing a relationship with the Gremory household. As a result of this, I'm certain he has no true protection from any of the Factions the same way that the rest of his family does."

"So then, we goin' after his kid to use as leverage?" Malia suggested, cracking the knuckles in one hand expectantly.

"No. We leave her alone. We already have to face the fact that Jotaro Kujo is involved in this. We don't know if attacking his daughter will invoke the wrath of the Archangels and the Maou as well." Myrcella dismissed, shaking her head. "We're already looking to lure out Sirzechs himself, no need to put more pieces on the board than needed."

"It would also be making things personal for Jotaro Kujo." Saizo pointed out with a hum. "Right now he's hunting us like a tiger hunts prey. Carefully, slowly taking its time, and making the right preparations. But I'm sure if we were to try and snatch up his kid, he'd immediately go into predator mode. Sure, we might get him to make a mistake, but when a tiger is defending its cubs it fights far more savagely than when it hunts. The last thing we need is for a guy capable of stopping time on a whim to put us at his mercy the moment he finds us."

"Expertly said, Saizo. You all have your answer, now. We are not to touch the girl. I'm sure he will send her on her way soon enough." Myrcella asserted, turning her back to her peerage. "For now, we wait until our contract killer arrives. He should be here within the week."

* * *

"Alright, I'm off!" Asia waved as Issei was the first to depart for his contract of the day. After their day off spent at the arcade with Jolyne, it was time for the normal routine of forming pacts with humans to return. Koneko, Kiba, and Akeno had already departed for their own contracts, reaffirming their previously made pacts with old customers. Okuyasu and Josuke had taken off to Owson's to pick up some manga they could read to kill time, and Asia was now on hold, waiting for Rias' instructions.

"Alright, sorry for the wait, Asia." Rias apologized, walking out of her shower with a towel wrapped around her body. "I figured since everyone was going out now, it would be a good time to get a quick shower."

"It's okay, you don't have to explain to me." Asia giggled, shaking her head. "So how come I haven't gone out for my contracts?"

"It seems that some of your previous customers have lost interest in our absence. Don't fret, though. It was expected that we might lose some during our training." Rias explained, grabbing her lingerie and slipping her black laced panties on first. "But the good news is that we just received a new application for a contract. I got word from my familiar while I was showering."

"Oh, okay! I'll take care of it right away!" Asia excitedly volunteered, earning a giggle from her master.

"You seem quite determined to start again." Rias commented, the blonde Devil sheepishly nodding.

"Well you see, considering that Josuke-nii and Issei put so much on the line for us and tried so hard, I feel like I need to put forth just as much effort. Even if it's just in a contract, I want to be of more help to you."

"My, you're going to make me tear up, Asia." Rias chuckled, reaching forward despite her half naked state and hugging the blonde. "Don't worry, you do a lot to help us out, my dear bishop. But if it means that much to you, please do your best to make this contract for us today, okay?"

"Alright, I will!" Asia sincerely smiled up at her master, the red haired devil releasing her now. Rias snapped her fingers, a slip of paper with her magic circle on the front appearing in her hand.

"Take this to get to the client's current location. Do your best to win them over, okay?"

"Of course!" Asia took the slip gingerly, backing away from her master and focusing her magic. Moments later, the familiar red circle appeared below her, teleporting Asia away from the familiar club room. The moment she opened her eyes, the blonde Devil found herself in a decently large room, close to the size of the clubroom. It was rather dark, but with her enhanced eyesight Asia could make out pink painted walls with green accent on the wood. Leaned against the walls were stacks of empty picture frames, ranging from large to small. Next to a green painted door, Asia noticed what look like rough sketches of art hanging on corkboard. She glanced to her right, seeing a triangular bookshelf filled with many different texts she could not see from this distance. "H-hello?" Asia called out, seeing no client before her.

"To think that it worked. I was quite sure that it was just a hoax." Asia whipped around in surprise, the voice catching her off guard. In front of her was a man sitting in a computer chair, leaning his cheek on his fist. He was a fairly pale skinned man, though looking to only be four or five years older than herself. He wore a green zigzag headband on his head, his hair combed into an undercut that was slicked sideways, long hanging earrings that resembled pen tips, and a green vest over a lavender dress shirt and white pants. He gave Asia an analytical look, a rather predatory smile spreading across his features.

"Alright then, Devil. What material can you provide for me?"

 **To be continued…**

 **And done! Phew, that took longer than I would have liked. Honestly this was a nice break from the action that goes on quite often in this story, but I was having difficulty with how I wanted young Jolyne to act. I figure that she's resentful of her father at this point, even if she still loves him. We also got to see a bit more development on Jotaro, and a small glimmer from Josuke. And that ending… heh, you all say what you want about that. Just remember to not spoil it in the reviews for me, please? Lol**

 **Also, while I'm at it, I'd like to remind everyone about the TV Tropes page someone was kind enough to make for this story, so do me a favor and drop by and enter in a new trope! It's pretty fun to look at those honestly :P**

 **Alright, I believe that's it for this chapter, hope you guys enjoyed personal time with Jolyne, as it might be a bit before she comes back. Please leave a review, a favorite and a follow for me. Thanks!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I own neither JoJo's Bizarre Adventure or Highschool DxD**

Chapter 19

Asia felt the man's eyes on her as she subconsciously gulped in apprehension. It was something about this man's demeanor that intimidated the blonde, but she couldn't quite place what it was. It was as if the man had a menacing aura around him, one that would cause normal people to stumble just from being near it. After his initial words, Asia's potential contract was now studying her with narrowed eyes, still sitting in his computer chair as if it were a throne and she were a subject that mildly piqued the king's interest.

"H-hello…" Asia finally greeted, bowing meekly. "My name is Asia Argento… I am here to make a contract with you…" The blonde Devil declared, earning a hum in response from the man. Asia stood straight once more, watching as the man leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, placing his chin on top of his linked finger.

"You are not what I was expecting when I asked to summon a Devil." The man mused, taking a moment to think. "But then again, perhaps Devils take the form of beautiful women to try and seduce their contracts into selling their souls?"

"N-no, nothing like that!" Asia meekly replied, waving her arms dismissively. "A-a soul is a large price and would require something of equal trade! We only take what is of equal value to what is requested of us."

"Is that so? Interesting…" The man accepted, reaching over to his desk and grabbing a pen and notepad. He seemed to dot down something that Asia couldn't see, though she guessed it was what she had told him. "Must it be something of more material value or personal value to the contractor?"

"O-oh, um… either one is acceptable…" Asia nodded, the man humming again as he continued to scribble, his attention more focused on his notepad rather than the blonde. "B-but what is it exactly that you want, sir?"

The man finally stopped his scribbling, his eyes pulling away from the paper to glare deep into Asia's eyes like he was peering into her heart. He placed the notepad back on his desk before standing up and placing his hands on his hips. "Do you know who I am?"

"U-um… no, I don't…" Asia answered truthfully, rubbing the back of her head. "Sh-should I?"

"I am unaware of how up to date Devils are on literature of Japan, so I will allow it to pass." The man huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "My name is Rohan Kishibe. I am a manga artist. The greatest one at that."

"R-really?" Asia blinked in shock, his introduction as the 'greatest' mangaka sounding like a fact rather than an opinion with the amount of confidence radiating from the man's voice. "That's so cool… Issei-san and Josuke-nii like to read manga all the time. I wonder if they know you…"

"Do they, now? So perhaps Devils do understand the fine art I've created." Rohan hummed to himself, holding his chin in thought.

"W-well, Issei-san is a Devil like I am, but Josuke-nii isn't." Asia clarified, her words causing Rohan to raise a brow curiously.

"You say that he is not a Devil, but you refer to this Josuke as a brother?" Rohan curiously inquired, taking a step forward and approaching Asia. The blonde didn't view his approach as threatening, her thoughts now more focused on his question.

"Why, yes. Josuke-nii is like an older brother to me, even if he's not really my brother." Asia elaborated, Rohan stopping a couple meters away and sizing up the blonde as she spoke. "But he's human, not a Devil."

"A human that spends time with Devils? Is he some sort of slave or servant? Or perhaps a worshiper?" Rohan asked, his questions causing Asia to blink before shaking her head furiously.

"N-no! Nothing like that! Josuke-nii is our peerage's closest friend! He was also friends with Issei-san before he was turned into a Devil." Rohan's brow raised at Asia's words once more, rubbing his chin as he soaked in this information.

"So Devils start out as humans?"

"N-no, not all of them. Our master is from a pure bloodline, but there aren't many of the pure blooded Devil's left…" Asia continued to explain, surprised to see just how curious this man was about Devils.

"I see. So pure blooded Devils make servants out of humans rather than other Devils." Rohan hummed, a smirk appearing at the corner of his mouth. "It seems I have quite a bit to learn from you, Argento-san."

"Y-you want to learn about Devils? Is that what you'd like to form a contract for?" Asia blinked in question, eliciting a chuckle from Rohan in response.

"Not just Devils, per say, but rather what material I can get from you. It could be about Devils or perhaps even about you, if I find you interesting enough to take information from." The manga artist explained, turning around and returning to his chair and taking a seat. He took a moment to reanalyze Asia again before frowning, holding his chin in thought. "But I still find it somewhat implausible that a girl such as yourself is a Devil. Your demeanor is rather uncharacteristic with what I imagined servants of Hell to be like. Then again, I am also lacking the proper knowledge to truly know what a Devil is like."

"W-well, like Issei-san, I wasn't always a Devil…" Asia admitted, casting her gaze to the ground with a bit of shame. "Before I became a Devil, I was… a nun of the church."

"A nun?" Rohan repeated, his curiosity once again taking over. "If that is true, then what caused you to abandon your God and the teachings to become a Devil? Was it out of resentment for life not going your way? Or perhaps-"

" **No**!" Asia blurted without warning, the outburst causing Rohan to pause in his inquiries. Asia blinked as she realized what she had just done, covering her mouth for a moment before releasing a downcast sigh. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout like that… I… I didn't turn my back on the Lord… things just turned out very… complicated…"

Rohan leaned back in his chair, observing Asia carefully before giving a small smile. "You wear your emotions on your sleeve. You are incredibly easy to read. But each emotion you show is genuine. You will do quite nicely."

Asia blinked, glancing up at Rohan in question. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"I told you that I desire material, didn't I?" Rohan declared, standing from his seat and placing his hands on his hips. "Material is not something that I can gain from reading a book. It's something I must gain through personal experience, reality so to speak, whether it be mine or someone else's. You seem to have much experience in life, both good and bad. That's **exactly** what I'm looking for in material."

"I-I see…" Asia muttered, obviously still confused about what Rohan was going for. "B-but what exactly is it you want me to do to give you material?"

"Perhaps sharing your life experiences, what terrors and jubilant times you have suffered and enjoyed?" The mangaka offered in explanation, walking up to Asia so that they were only feet away. Asia's timid nature forced to slightly recoil, feeling nervous under his gaze. "But before that, I shall determine your true character."

"My true… character?" Asia muttered, again confused by Rohan's terminology.

"Yes. I'd like to know what kind of personality you have first. You are rather open with your feelings, so I trust that it will be a simple venture." Rohan hummed, holding his chin in thought as he took a moment to look over Asia again. "From what I've gathered so far, you're fairly frail when it comes to dealing with others. You are most likely ignorant to the the intentions of those who would seek to exploit you, either being too trusting or too naive. Frail you might be, you're also passionate. You are extremely caring and most likely gentle with most people you come into contact with. As far as I can tell, you are the gentle girl cliche of a manga." Rohan had hit Asia with a wave of information faster than she could process, her eyes becoming swirls as she tried to keep up with the manga artist's flurry of words. "Tell me, as a Devil, do you possess any special abilities?"

Able to understand his final sentence this time, Asia shook her head of confusion and nodded. "I do. I possess a Sacred Gear called Twilight Healing. It's able to repair any damage done to someone, human or Devil." she held her hand up and allowed her healing green aura to shine for emphasis.

Rohan raised a brow at this display before releasing an amused chuckle, shaking his head in disbelief. "It would seem you're much more cliche than I first anticipated. I suppose that cliches don't exist for no reason, after all."

"Wh-why does it feel like you're insulting me, Rohan-san?!" Asia whined, wiggling her arms in annoyance with a pouty expression. Rohan's chuckle turned into a laugh, only further entertained by her reaction.

"I suppose I know enough about your personality. Now it'll be interesting to take a look at the past that shaped you into who you are." Rohan declared, his words causing Asia to hesitate.

"W-well… about that…" Asia muttered, averting her eyes from the artist. "I'm not very… comfortable sharing such things with you. I've only ever told my closest friends of it…"

Rohan glanced back at Asia, eyes once again analyzing the blonde Devil's demeanor. He hummed for a moment before nodding in acceptance. "I see. Then how about before we get into such matters, you might take a look through my art?"

Asia's expression brightened at the change of subject, glancing at Rohan curiously as he moved back to his work station. The blonde Devil soon followed, peeking over his shoulder as he pulled out a folder from under his desk and opened it up. Her eyes shined with amazement as the mangaka revealed rough sketches of strange but well drawn figures.

"These are so good! You drew these?!" Asia inquired curiously, taking the folder as Rohan passed it to her.

"That's correct. These are just samples and scribbles of mine I do in my free time." Rohan explained, leaning against his desk and watching with amusement as she seemed to fawn over his art, eagerly pulling one page to the next. Rohan felt something rise up within him, an urge to use 'that'. It would have been incredibly easy with just the art Asia was pouring over now. _But… this is her first time truly seeing my work. I might as well allow her to enjoy it first._

"You're so passionate about what you draw!" Asia giggled, her attention now focused on one of the pages of art he had taken the time to color. "It makes me want to read your manga, too!"

"Normally I would recommend you to try it, but considering your personality it is likely too dark for your taste." Rohan dismissed honestly, glancing at the art pages that Asia was drawn to. "The themes are rather dark and the story can become quite gruesome when it calls for it."

"Oh, really? Still, what I have seen is quite amazing. But if you're so skilled as is, why do you need more material?" Asia inquired further, her question drawing out a look of pure conviction from Rohan.

"You must understand something, Asia. Motivation to keep writing and drawing **must** be drawn out by reality! One man can only come up with so much original work on his own. Taking real life experiences and things that have moved me as inspiration is what helps me to keep writing. It can be something small and seemingly insignificant, but even a butterfly can inspire the next Picasso. That is why I desire more material. It is even more exciting to know that I can draw from material you provide me as a Devil." Rohan declared firmly, now pointing to the blonde. "Until today, I thought it was nothing but a ruse. With your arrival, many new floodgates have been opened to me."

"I see…" Asia muttered, no amount of awe hidden from her tone before she smiled broadly. "If you think you can take inspiration for me for your story, even if only a little, then I'd be happy to help you however I can!"

Rohan grinned back, though his own expression seemed somewhat conniving if a bit mischievous. "I'm extremely happy to hear you say that, Asia-san. And I have the perfect way that you can help me do so."

"You do?" Asia chirped, surprised that she could be of use to him already.

"That's right. But first, why don't you continue to look at my art? I think the next page you'll find quite fascinating." Rohan ushered the naive Devil, who easily accepted this invite with a vigorous nod.

"Okay then!" Asia agreed, turning back to the folder and flipping to the next page. As Rohan said, Asia found herself gasping in awe, the page a colorful explosion of art, ranging from a mixture of characters she didn't recognize drawn with exquisite detail. Rohan's skill at drawing the details of the eyes and facial structure is what impressed Asia more than anything, but the colors made the art feel alivee. "This is so beautiful… I can't believe it…" Asia mumbled, eyes shining as she was almost brought to tears. To her, it seemed like the page was almost shining with the glory of his art.

Asia was so entranced, she hadn't even noticed that her face was starting to morph, the edge peeling out like pages of a book.

"It seems you're compatible as well." Rohan chuckled, waiting for the blonde to notice. Asia turned to him obliviously before blinking, finally noticing the change in her body with a gasp.

"Wh-what's happening?! Wh-why does my body feel…" Asia stumbled, falling to the ground weakly. It wasn't her face that had been turned into a book alone, but the rest of her body as well. Rohan merely grinned, crouching next to her immobile form and leaning on his hand.

"It worked like a charm. It seems that even a Devil is not immune to my ability." Rohan chuckled, reaching forward and pulling a 'page' back from Asia's face and causing her to squeak out in fear. Inside the pages it looked like he he was actually reading from a newspaper with many different layers for him to skim through, though to no end of discomfort to Asia.

"Wh-what's going on, Rohan-san?! What did you do?!" Asia asked again, still unable to really struggle as she was still immobilized by what Rohan had done.

"You see Asia, some time ago after I arrived in Kuoh, I experienced a dramatic change within me. I don't know how or what caused it, but I suddenly gained this power to turn people into books." Rohan explained, deciding to tell his story before he would dive further into Asia's pages.

"A-a sudden change? S-so you're not a Devil or a Fallen Angel?" Asia asked, eliciting a small chuckle in response.

"No, nothing like that. I had no true knowledge of such existences beforehand, after all. I believe I am completely human." Rohan further elaborated, deciding to peek at the first page of Asia's story. "You see, I had discovered this power when one of my publishers came to examine my progress on my manga. It happened rather suddenly and I couldn't understand what was going on. It wasn't until later that I realized that this power was in fact my own. I've decided to call it **Heaven's Door**. With it, I am able to look into the details of anybody under it's influence. It is one hundred percent accurate and gives me more details than any interview could offer."

"Y-your ability…" Asia muttered, mustering up enough energy to at least lean on her right side to look at him. "Y-you're like Josuke-nii… you have a Stand… otherwise I would have sensed your energy at least…"

"'Stand'?" Rohan blinked in surprise, reaching forward and pulling back another page and searching for the term in her file. Asia let out a cry, the feeling of being 'read' by Rohan a rather strange sensation. "I see… the manifestation of one's soul. Yes, this sounds precisely like what I have. Amazing, Asia-san! I'm learning so much from you in what little time we've been together!" Rohan's grin became somewhat manic, sweat beading down his forehead from the excitement.

"B-but why are you doing this..?" Asia asked fearfully, eyes on the verge of tears as she was helpless to stop him. "I-I said I would help you get material before…"

"But you are now, Asia-san. This is **much** more helpful than anything you could tell me." Rohan chuckled as he started to delve deeper into the pages. "You were hesitant to speak of your own past, correct? If it makes you feel better, I can read it here instead of having you retell it to me. I'll lose out on the emotional effect it has on you, but I will accept the details over that instead."

"Th-that doesn't make me feel better!" Asia whined indignantly, earning an eye roll from Rohan in response.

"Asia Argento. You were an orphan as a baby, abandoned by your mother and raised in a church in Italy. I thought you looked foreign." Rohan offhandedly commented before continuing, "When you were eight years old you discovered your ability Twilight Healing. You were regarded as a true Godsend, even given the title of The Holy Priestess. But that changed one day when you healed a Devil and were cast out." Rohan raised a brow at this, eyes leaving the pages for a moment to look into Asia's own orbs, her shining green eyes cast away from him. He didn't bother to pursue the thought, glancing back at the pages. "Despite your departure from the church, you still held your faith in God. But with nowhere to go, you joined the Fallen Angels, hoping that you could serve God through them. It wasn't until it was too late that you realized your mistake."

"Please… stop…" Asia meekly pleaded, Rohan glancing back into her eyes to gauge her reaction. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and trailing through the pages of her file.

"Your past is incredibly tragic, Asia-san. Something that makes your personality far more interesting than I initially expected." Rohan shook his head, grinning as he looked back at her file. "The gentle healing type's may have some sort of problem that occurred once, but you've been suffering since childhood. Your backstory alone is strong material. To have such unwavering faith even through such suffering… even as a Devil, you hold onto your faith. Such a strange dynamic, but quite interesting…"

"My faith… is what kept me going." Asia admitted, resting her head on the floor as she thought of her past. It was strange that she was opening up to Rohan like this, but considering she had little choice in the matter, she accepted her fate. "I believed that God always had a plan for me. A plan that would bring me to close friends…"

"But he didn't. Yet you still hold faith?" Rohan inquired curiously, only for Asia to offer a surprisingly bright smile despite her tears.

"But he did. It's strange, but… I found my family with Issei-san, Josuke-nii, president… everyone became my family… even if it was as a Devil…" The blonde giggled, weakly attempting to wipe the water in her eyes. Rohan sighed, reaching into his vest pocket and pulling out a tissue and wiping it for her. "Thank you… but yes. Even now, I still believe."

"Such illogical thinking… yet to see it for myself, I can't help but be touched by your faith." Rohan chuckled, honestly impressed with Asia's resolve. "Since it seems to be that your friends are a big part of your motivation now, why don't we take a look at how you view them?"

"Eh?" Asia muttered before meekly flailing her arms. "W-wait! Th-thats-"

"The first page is about your friend Issei Hyoudou. Oh my, it seems you're infatuated with him." Rohan bluntly spoke, the mangaka's brow raising as the pages where her cheeks were started to redden. "I was quite surprised. The first thing that was written in your personal profile of him was that you love him with all of your heart."

"St-stop it, it's embarrassing~!" Asia squealed out, attempting to hide her face from him.

"Stop moving, you're making the file harder to read." Rohan ordered in slight annoyance, the blonde Devil reluctantly complying as she was in no position to struggle. Rohan seemed to read some of it to himself before blinking and releasing a laugh. "So you two have even seen one another naked **and** you're living together? Perhaps you're not as innocent as I thought you were, Asia-san."

"Sto~p!"

"Fine, fine. I'll move onto the next page." Rohan chuckled, deciding to spare the girl at least some of her privacy regarding her love interest. "Next is Josuke Higashikata. You seem to have fairly solid understanding of how you view your friends. The first line in this page is that 'Josuke is my big brother'. Though from the look of it, you both are the same age. You admire him quite a bit from what I can tell…" He muttered, almost to himself, before deciding to turn the page and coming across a picture of Rias. "Rias Gremory. Your master and… rival?" He peered down at Asia's face to gauge her reaction, the blonde meekly nodding.

"I-I love president, of course, but… she also loves Issei…" Asia admitted, Rohan widening his eyes somewhat at her words, the blonde becoming somewhat downcast. "I don't want to lose him to her…"

Rohan couldn't profess to understand how Asia felt or the intricacies of romance, but seeing her crestfallen look caused him to somewhat sympathize. Rohan didn't know why he should, though, as he'd only just met the girl, and he often cared little for how others felt. Perhaps it was reading her story in such a fashion that made Rohan feel a bit sympathetic, sort of like connecting to a character in a story and wanting them to succeed. That was the closest relation Rohan could draw from this situation.

The mangaka sighed and flipped back to the pages of Asia's backstory, glancing through the pages. "I believe I've read enough for today. What information I've gathered should be adequate for now." He stood up and reached for his notepad and pencil, giving Asia a firm look before his hand danced faster than Asia could even keep up with, blinking in shock.

"Wh-what did you draw?" Asia asked, unable to hide her curiosity despite her situation. Rohan quickly flipped the notepad around, revealing what was a rough sketch of Asia, though without her face being morphed by his Stand. "A-amazing! You drew that in an instant, Rohan-san?!"

"Rough sketches like these are nothing, especially when I have something to model from." Rohan proudly scoffed, setting the notebook back down before kneeling next to Asia again. "Now that I've gotten your rough portrait down, there's only one thing I require of you for today."

"Wh-what's that?" Asia asked, feeling some relief that Rohan might dispel his ability soon.

"Part of your memory." That relief soon disappeared, Asia's expression turning pale as Rohan gave a rather dark smile before flipping through her pages.

" **No**! Please! Anything but that!" Asia cried out in terror, her voice almost cracking from the stress she put into her protest.

"Quiet! You should be appreciative, if anything. I'm merely going to pull some of the memories you have of your tortured past. You should be grateful that you might forget such misfortunes." Rohan huffed, eyes analyzing the most alluring sections of Asia's childhood nightmares. "I have a strong understanding of your personality now which will be good for the creation of a character. Now I just need to draw from your past to complete it."

"Please, you can't!" Asia begged, weakly gripping at his sleeve as tears started to fill the corner of her eyes. "I… I don't want to forget!"

Rohan found himself stopping, glancing at Asia in disbelief. "Why? Why would you want to remember such dark times in your life? Most want to forget the things that hurt them in such a way. Why would you want to remember?"

Asia hesitated to answer, casting her gaze down and leaning on both arms for support. Rohan seemed to allow her a moment to think, his curiosity genuinely piqued as he waited for her answer. "I… I want to remember the bad times with the good…" Asia muttered, sniffling as she allowed some mist to persist in her sight. "As bad as times may have gotten for me, I… I feel stronger because of them. God gave me strength in hard times, and I will forever cherish the comfort he gave me then… and the friends I have gained now…" Asia glanced up at Rohan, her green orbs meeting his same colored eyes. "Please… don't take that from me…"

Rohan found himself actually hesitating. In most cases, he would have disregarded such pleas, as material was far too important to pass up. But here he was, meeting one of the most innocent yet strong willed people he'd ever met in his life, and starting to have second thoughts. Asia's reasoning and resolve touched Rohan, whether he would admit it or not, and put him between a rock and a hard place. Rohan was a man who lived without regretting his actions, but stealing the memories of the blonde Devil would leave a bad taste in his mouth. Rohan sighed, reluctantly reaching up and closing the pages of Asia's file. "You're too illogical. I suppose I can… use what I've read, so far."

Asia realized what Rohan was doing and started to smile. "Thank you, Ro-"

 ***knock knock***

Rohan and Asia blinked in surprise, the knocking at the front door of Rohan's mansion pulling the two away from their moment. "W-who is that?"

"I'm not sure. I wasn't expecting anyone…" Rohan hummed, quickly moving away from the blonde and to the window by his studio, pulling down one of the blinds slightly as to go unnoticed by his new visitor. It was dark outside, but his porch light illuminated his front door and his visitor. His eyes widened as he soon recognized the boy, having seen it in Asia's file.

"It's your love interest, Issei Hyoudou…" Rohan muttered, glancing back at Asia in confusion. "Did you call for help to him somehow?"

"N-no, I didn't! I'm not sure why he's here…" Asia muttered, truly surprised by his arrival as well before looking up at the clock over Rohan's windowsill. "O-oh, it has been quite some time since I arrived to make the contract… Issei-san might be here to check up on me since he most likely completed his own visit…"

"Hello~? Anyone home?" Issei called out, his voice steady and showing no worry. Rohan was inclined to believe Asia's words, one: because she was too honest to be lying, even about a rescue attempt and two: the brunette seemed far too composed and carefree rather than panicked or aggressive. But this arrival suddenly gave Rohan an idea, his eyes widening for a moment before a dark grin spread across his face once again.

"Asia-san… it seems that you're in luck." Rohan declared, grabbing a pen off of his studio desk as he sauntered over to Asia and crouched in front of her, the smile he wore unsettling the blonde as he reached forward and pulled back several pages. "I'll allow you to keep your memories. But in exchange, I'm going to need your help with something…"

* * *

Issei crossed his arms patiently, unsure if he was interrupting Asia's contract or not. He had finished early with his own (failed) contract for the night, so he had called ahead to Rias to see if there was anything she needed him to do. His master had said that Asia was still out for her own new contract, telling Issei that if he wanted to, he could stop by and check in on her. They hadn't detected anything wrong like a Stray Devil or an Exorcist, but Rias wanted to make sure things were going smoothly since Asia had been gone for quite some time.

"I wonder if this is the right address…" Issei muttered, pulling out his phone and checking to make sure he was at the right place. The brunette paused in his actions as the door creaked open, glancing up to see a smiling Asia.

"Oh, Issei! I didn't know you were coming." Asia greeted kindly, nothing seemingly off judging by her attitude. If anything, she seemed happy.

"Hey, Asia. Just thought I'd drop by on the way back from my contract. Everything going alright?" Issei asked, his own small worries dashed away after seeing the blonde.

"Oh, they're going great! I'm actually going to be making a contract fairly soon. Would you like to come in?" Asia offered, the brunette blinking in surprise.

"You sure? I'd hate to ruin your chance of sealing the contract…" Issei suggested, but Asia only shook her head.

"No, it's quite alright. Rohan-san is actually quite interested in meeting other Devils. Please, come in!" Asia ushered, the brunette hesitating only for a moment before shrugging.

"Alright, if you say so." Issei nodded, walking in after her before humming in thought. "You said his name was Rohan-san, right?"

"That's right! I haven't heard of him before, but apparently he's a big manga writer. Do you know him?" Asia inquired, recognition immediately crossing Issei's features as his jaw dropped.

"Y-you mean your contract is with **the** Rohan Kishibe?!" Issei exclaimed, his words causing Asia to stop and tilt her head curiously.

"I-is he that famous?"

"Of course! As far as mangaka go, Rohan Kishibe is known as one of the best! He's pretty young from what I hear, but he's also supposedly a recluse!" Issei began to explain, his words causing Asia to giggle.

"He is a bit strange, but he's actually rather kind as you'll soon find out. Come, up the stairs." Asia began leading Issei up the flight, the brunette now anxious to meet one of his favorite artists.

"Oh man, this is so cool! I didn't think that I'd get to meet a celebrity like this!" Issei muttered in excitement, almost hurrying Asia up so that he could meet the mangaka.

"Well then maybe next time, we can bring Josuke-nii to meet him as well." Asia offered, only for Issei to scoff.

"Josuke never cared for Pink Dark Boy, even when I tried to get him to read it. He's not really into darker themed manga." Issei dismissed, waving his hand. "But I'm pretty sure he's just got real limited taste when it comes to manga."

"Oh, I see. But maybe he'd like Rohan-san, regardless." Asia offered before arriving at the door furthest down the hall of the second floor. She reached forward and grabbed the doorknob, pulling it open and waving for Issei to go first. In his excitement, Issei didn't bother to wait, jumping forward into the room.

"H-hello! Sorry for the intrusion!" Issei coughed out, suddenly realizing his position and gulping. Ahead of him, he could see a man sitting in a computer chair with his back to him but slowly turning to the brunette. He was wearing a smile that unsettled Issei, the brunette suddenly gripping his currently camouflaged dragon hand.

"H-huh?" Asia muttered behind him. Issei glanced back to see the blonde had closed the door. Out of nowhere, her face quickly morphed, the front layer of her chest, arms and legs turning into paper and flapping out. "N-no! Issei, get away! It's a trap!"

"Wh-what?" Issei muttered, grinding his teeth in anger before snapping his eyes forward. "You bastard, what did you-" He was cut short as a piece of paper was now held in front of his face, blinking in shock as he found himself studying the details of the art. While the feeling may have been fleeting, he felt a small bit of amazement at the picture.

That fleeting feeling was enough to put him under the influence of **Heaven's Door**.

"Wh-what the hell?!" Issei cried out as his body started to feel weak, his face turning into a mass of pages similar to Asia. He fell to his knees, using what strength he could to keep from completely collapsing on the ground and glared up at Rohan.

"It seems my plan worked out perfectly." Rohan chuckled, tucking the sketch away into his jacket. "Issei Hyoudou, correct? Your arrival was very timely."

"R-Rohan-san, what did you do?!" Asia cried out, her eyes close to tears. "I-I didn't mean to bring him up here! I suddenly forgot everything that happened…"

"What'd you do to me and Asia, you bastard?!" Issei growled, attempting to push himself up from the ground but far too weak to do so.

"It was a simple task. I simply wrote in your file 'bring Issei Hyoudou in the house without alerting him'." Rohan explained, crossing his arms triumphantly. "To think that it would work so well is a surprise to me, as well."

"Y-you… are you a Devil or something?" Issei ground out, sweat starting to trail down his brow. _Damn it, I'm too weak… I don't know how I'm going to get us out of this…_

"No, I'm not. As Asia has pointed out to me, I am what you call a Stand user. I have named my power **Heaven's Door**." Rohan explained for Issei, crouching in front of the brunette and smiling maliciously. "With it, I am able to read people's experiences and thoughts with great detail, turning them into my own personal books. I can even make them do as I command as you saw with Asia."

"I-I'm sorry, Issei-san… I couldn't stop it…" Asia cried out, sniffling for in shame. "I-I didn't mean to involve you in all of this…"

"I am quite thankful for your arrival, on the other hand. Asia and I were just discussing the importance of her memories." Rohan chuckled, eyes narrowing dangerously as he reached forward. "I was about ready to allow her to leave without taking the material I desire due to her appeal to my better nature. But thankfully fate is on my side, as I'll be able to take from you rather than from her, instead."

"Wh-what the hell are you talking about?! What are you taking from me?!" Issei growled out, huffing in frustration as he gripped his gauntlet. If this was as bad as Issei thought it might be, he would have no choice but to boost. It might not be much as he was, but it could be enough to at least knock the man out.

"Your memories, of course." Rohan declared, Issei's eyes widening in shock. "If your past experiences are half as exciting as Asia's, you'll serve me quite well as material." The mangaka grabbed the edge of the pages on Issei's face, the brunette sweating nervously at such a prospect. "But before that, I'd like to determine your personality. I've gotten a decent idea from Asia's profile of you, but there may be some differences that she has overlooked."

"Y-yeah right, like I'll let you!" Issei growled, lifting his hand and summoning his Sacred Gear. **Boost!** The energy filled Issei, able to somewhat sustain his current weakness. Seeing the improvement as too minimal, he charged up once again. **Boost! Boost!** The green aura shined through the room and caused Rohan to crinkle one eye at the brightness, taking a single step back and allowing Issei to regain his footing. "That should be enough. Now turn off whatever the hell this is before I get even more angry! I'm already pissed enough with the fact that you did this to Asia!"

"Then why don't you try to make me?" Rohan smiled wryly, testing Issei's threat for himself.

"You asked for it!" Issei snapped, lunging forward with his armored arm cocked back. Even if Rohan was weakening him with his Stand, he should be strong enough to take him out after boosting several times in a row. But as Issei's fist came close to hitting Rohan dead in the face, his punch stopped short, the brunette blinking in shock as he found his body tensing up at the last moment. "Wh-what the hell...?" He withdrew his arm, the sensation gone immediately, glancing at Rohan as the mangaka watching him with a smug grin on his face. Grinding his teeth in frustration, Issei lunged again for another punch. Immediately as he was inches away, his punch fell short of its mark. "T-the hell is going on?"

"When I first looked into your pages, I made sure to write in them immediately." Rohan chuckled, taking a step toward Issei, the brunette instinctively stepping back in caution. "You now have a safety lock on you. You will no longer be able to harm me in any way."

"Y-you've gotta be kidding me…" Issei muttered, running forward to throw another punch. Again, stopped short by his own body. The energy from his Boosted Gear soon faded, his body becoming weak again due to **Heaven's Door**. He fell to his knees in exhaustion, helpless as Rohan kneeled in front of him and pushed him to his back. _H-how strong is this damn Stand?! I've never seen anything with such control over others before…_

"Now that we've gotten the pleasantries out of the way, I wish to claim my material from you." Rohan smirked, reaching forward and pulling back the first page slowly. "Let's see what kind of man you are, Issei Hyoudou."

"I-Issei!" Asia cried out in fear, hoping that Rohan might spare her love interest. Issei ground his teeth, only able to sit there and wait for whatever it was that Rohan was going to do. The mangaka peeled back the first page and grinned with excitement.

That grin quickly fell. Rohan blinked for a moment before turning to the next page. His cheeks started to redden and he gulped, the mangaka's eye twitching before he ground his teeth. "What **is** all this perverse nonsense?!"

Issei and Asia blinked, the two glancing up at the now exasperated mangaka. "Huh?"

"The first pages are nothing but… **breasts**!" Rohan barked in frustration, quickly turning to the next page, only to see the same result but with different women. "You've got to be **kidding** me! How depraved are you?!" Rohan barked in disgust, glaring into Issei's eyes before turning to Asia. "Asia-san! Is this truly the man that you-"

"St-st-stop it! Stop!" Asia pleaded, crocodile tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Hey, I resent that!" Issei snapped back, any fear he might have had replaced with deep offense. "I've made a strong mental hard drive of **every** beautiful pair of tits I've laid my eyes on! You should be impressed with the collection I've accumulated over the years!"

"Only an eroge game writer would be impressed by such filth!" Rohan barked back, grinding his teeth in frustration as he started to flip through the pages much faster now. Much to Rohan's chagrin, there were **far** too many pages filled with similar trash. The mangaka even tried to look in the pages of another part of his body, but they all had the same result. With nothing more to do, Rohan groaned in annoyance as he started to go through the pages on Issei's face again. "It looks like I'm nearing the end of it…" Rohan muttered before stopping on one page and raising a brow. He then glanced up at Asia and sighed. "I found yours."

"R-Rohan-san! D-d-don't look!" Asia cried out in embarrassment, hiding her red face from the mangaka. Rohan merely rolled his eyes, while he might have usually enjoyed such a funny reaction, his mood was soured by the amount of filth he was seeing. Finally, as if reaching the end of a terrible roller coaster, Rohan sighed in relief as he came to Issei's profile.

"For a moment I thought there would be nothing but the same trash…" Rohan muttered to himself before beginning to resume his analysis. "Issei Hyoudou, age sixteen. Student at Kuoh Academy. Known as one of the Pervert Trio, I assumed as much, and a member of Rias Gremory's peerage, same as Asia. You wear your perversion like a badge of honor, accepting any punishment given to you so long as you are able to fulfill your depraved needs."

"Hey!" Issei complained, though Rohan promptly ignored him.

"Despite how people initially judge you, you've never gone too far when it comes to women, having never forced yourself on them or pushing a girl to do something they don't wish to do… That's surprising." Rohan scoffed, thinking that Issei's lechery had no bounds. "You treat your friends with great care and would fight for them to the end… hm. So despite your perversion, you have redeeming qualities… well, perhaps redeeming is too strong of a word in this case…"

"I really hate you…" Issei groaned, wanting to struggle more, if it were possible.

"Your character type is usually that of a side character, one promptly ignored by women due to being overshadowed by a much more 'simple' protagonist." Rohan began to muse, rubbing his chin in thought. "Yet, if I were to compare you to the protagonists of other harem genre anime… you'd definitely be the most interesting. Your lechery makes you a flawed character. Harem protagonists are often frail, boring characters with little substance… despite what filth might go on in your head, you do pose a more interesting dynamic…"

"Why do you act like everything is some sort of anime?" Issei mumbled, but Rohan continued to ignore him, reading further into his profile.

"What's this? A personal fear?" Rohan raised a brow, his eyes slightly widening in interest. "A fear of being used and tossed aside?"

Issei and Asia froze at those words, the blonde turning her gaze specifically to Issei. The brunette starting to sweat in dread of what Rohan was saying.

"Ah, I see. So you're afraid that the women around you will-"

" **Shut up**!" Issei snapped, actually causing Rohan to stop and look at him. The brunette was gnashing his teeth in frustration, angry tears at the corner of his eyes. "Just… shut up…"

"Issei…" Asia muttered, wanting to reach out and grab hold of him.

Rohan stared down at Issei with cold eyes before looking at Asia as well. With a scoff, the mangaka turned the page. "I suppose I've analyzed enough of your personal profile. Why don't we see what else you're hiding in here…" He muttered, coming upon the profiles of Issei's friends. "Interesting… I expected the first profile among your relationships to be Asia or your master… instead, it's Josuke Higashikata. He was the second profile among Asia's list."

"Wh-what does that mean?" Issei muttered, having calmed down since Rohan decided to spare him some of his dignity.

"Just that you consider him your closest relationship, most likely." Rohan explained, glancing through the words. "Similar to Asia, you view him as a brother, though I suppose in a different sense of the word. You admire him above anything, and you're glad that even after you became a Devil that he stayed by your side…"

"G-geez, can you not say all that out loud? It's weird having someone say that stuff to my face…" Issei flustered up, casting his gaze away from the mangaka.

"It seems you also want him to become a Devil, like you."

At that, Issei froze and blinked, glancing back up at Rohan. "Wh-what?"

"You didn't know? Strange... but then again, the file most likely knows your innermost desires better than you do." Rohan hummed carelessly, glancing at Asia. "I hadn't said it to Asia before, but she desired the same of him."

"W-wait, what?!" Issei blanched, glancing back at Asia. Said blonde was blushing and hiding her face in shame. "Y-you do?"

"You both have the same reasons for desiring so, it appears." Rohan further elaborated, scratching his chin in thought. "You want him to be with you all forever. You know that as a human, he is going to be far more limited in his time with you. A rather childish desire, but with Devils perhaps it's a higher possibility due to your apparent longevity."

"D-damn it, will you stop already?!" Issei snapped again, hardly able to take this insight of his mind any longer. "You can't just go telling people's secrets like nothing! Mine or Asia's!"

"Perhaps I've gotten a bit off track, anyways." Rohan sighed, skipping the rest of the relationship profiles. "I was looking to take one of your memories for my material."

"Right… wait, don't do that either, bastard!"

"Quiet and be happy I don't speak of any other secrets you hold!" Rohan snapped back this time, his annoyance rearing it's face. "Not that it'll matter. I'll most likely have you both forget what transpired…" Rohan trailed off as he came to a stop, one page in particular standing out above the rest.

"What is this...?"

The page that Rohan stumbled upon was covered in a crimson design around the corners. At the very center was the outline of a dragon's head with flames blowing out of it's nose. In large scarlet lettering below the head, there were three words:

 _ **GO NO FURTHER**_

"What could… possibly be here?" Rohan muttered to himself, sweat starting to trail down his forehead.

"Wh-what's gotten into you?" Issei muttered with a raised brow, confused by Rohan's sudden lack of energy.

"I've yet to come across a page like this in anyone else… what could this mean..?" Rohan muttered, though mostly to himself. Despite the warning label plastered on the page, Rohan was far too intrigued to be deterred. "I suppose there's only one way to find out…" He said to himself aloud, slowly reaching forward and pulling the page back. When he had, the mangaka could only blink as he revealed a blank set of pages.

That was until they started to glow red hot. The heat became far too intense, Rohan forced to withdraw his hand from the page. "Wh-what is this?!" Rohan blanched, hot sweat now pouring down his cheeks. "What is-"

" **You were warned, Stand user."**

Rohan's eyes went wide in fear as he heard the voice. Issei let out a cry of disbelief, unsure what was happening as a figure started to form. It had no clear features, as it's body was made up of the light shining from the pages. A loud, monstrous roar rang out from the figure as it spread it's wings out, filling the room with it's incredible energy.

"N-no way… i-it's you…" Issei muttered, realizing what was happening now. The figure that rose from within his pages spared a glance down at his wielder and released a chuckle.

" **You were fortunate that the Stand user was too curious for his own good. Stand up and fight. I have burned away the words that he inscribed upon your mind. He has no power to stop you anymore."**

"R-really?" Issei muttered before grinning. Rohan was in a trance at first, shocked by this sudden figure. But after realizing what the dragon had said, he snapped back to reality, seeing Issei's intense glare on him now. "You're going to regret taking advantage of Asia, you bastard…"

 **Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!** Draig roared, his words now audible to all those around as Issei's gauntlet flared to life with energy. He pushed off the ground and shoved his open pages back closed, making it easier to see as he approached.

"S-shit… I have to write in you again!" Rohan scrambled for his pen, but soon found Issei's armored fist slamming straight into his jaw. The mangaka spat some blood before being sent flying back, his back hitting the edge of his desk and flopping forward on the ground.

"R-Rohan-san!" Asia cried out without thinking. After a moment, her face and body were returned to normal, the blonde blinking as she felt her energy return. "I-I'm fixed…"

"Hell yeah! Great job, dragon!" Issei grinned, looking down at his now revealed crimson gauntlet. His normal energy returned, which meant that the energy from his previous boosts were also stacking higher.

" **The name is Ddraig, kid. It would be best to remember it now that we are linked as true partners."** The dragon in his arm spoke, the brunette chuckling as he gave a nod.

"You got it, Ddraig. I owe you for this one." He then turned back to the currently injured mangaka, Rohan coughing out blood as he attempted to push himself up.

"Y-you had no idea th-that the dragon could do that… so I co-couldn't prepare for such a series of events... " Rohan muttered between labored breaths.

"Now, asshole, apologize to Asia!" Issei growled, taking a step forward in threat. Rohan weakly gazed up at Issei before turning his head away.

"Why would I do such a thing… if anything…" Rohan muttered, reaching for a pen nearby. "I should be thanking her!"

"Hey! Don't you try it!" Issei was about to throw a powerful kick at the mangaka, only for Asia to step in his way.

"Please, that's enough Issei! No more!" Issei blinked in shock, glancing back down at Rohan in fear, expecting him to try and draw another sketch to subdue them. Instead, he seemed to be writing something on a crinkled up piece of paper, his movements weak but nonetheless energetic.

"I'm so happy… to have such extravagant material given to me…" Rohan breathlessly laughed, his actions causing Issei to relax somewhat as he watched the mangaka with great shock. "So much material… thank you, thank you both…"

"Wh-what the hell… even beaten down, the guy's still going…" Issei muttered, scratching the back of his head before looking at Asia, "But why did you stop me? Aren't you mad at this guy for using you?"

"I-I was at first, but…" Asia glanced back at Rohan, who seemed to stop his scribbling to watch Asia for her answer as well. "But… his art really is amazing… he might be really intense, but Rohan-san really cares about his work…", turning back to Issei, she offered a gentle smile that sapped Issei of any will to keep fighting, "Someone as passionate about his work as Rohan-san can't be all bad, can he?"

"Asia...san…" Rohan muttered, pausing for a moment before releasing a weak chuckle and shaking his head. "You're… far too kind… it's so cliche…"

"Rohan-san~! Stop saying stuff like that!" Asia whined, waving her arms vigorously. The mangaka only offered a weak smile, forcing himself to sit up. Issei took a moment to think it over before sighing, shaking his head as he lost all desire to continue.

"Alright, I'll let him off with that punch, then. But you should be more careful from now on, okay?" Issei sighed, turning around to leave. "Let's get home. President is probably going to be worried."

"W-wait." Asia bid him, the brunette stopping at the door and turning back. Asia walked over and kneeled before Rohan, holding her hands up and activating her Twilight Healing. Issei could only sigh, but decided against protesting as he knew that was just how Asia was. The blonde was kind to even the biggest jerks.

"Thank you." Rohan said, his words genuinely appreciative. "And not just for healing me. I've gained quite a bit of material from tonight. I'm glad that I took a chance with the summoning circle."

"Um… about that…" Asia muttered with a shy smile, both Issei and Rohan raising a brow at her. "Do you still want to form a contract?"

…

…

…

" **Huh**?!"

* * *

"And that's what happened…"

Asia and Issei had soon arrived back at the clubroom, immediately receiving questions about what had happened. At first Rias was quite distressed to hear that they had been attacked by Rohan, but relaxed after hearing the story of what had transpired. The confrontation had ended far better than expected, all things considered. In the end, Asia was able to gain his contract for her service in providing him with 'material'. Of course, Issei was left fairly upset by this, but was unable to convince Asia otherwise.

"What made you decide to form a contract after all that crap he put you through?" Okuyasu asked first, tilting his head in confusion as he attempted to sort her reason out for himself.

"I really admire how passionate Rohan-sensei is about his work. If I can help him make something amazing, it would make me happy." Asia admitted, now adopting a new title for the mangaka.

"I still don't think it's a good idea… that bastard might get the wrong idea…" Issei grumbled, still upset with the turn of events.

"Now, now. At least you're both back in one piece, and what's more, we may have gained a new ally in our fight." Rias tried to reason, leaning against the front of her desk. "It won't be long until Myrcella and her group finds out about him. We will contact Jotaro-san and Sona about setting him up with protection. I'll personally meet with Rohan Kishibe to discuss the dangers and what cooperation we might be able to get from him."

"We've placed our familiars on guard for the time being. So long as they are around his home, Rohan-san should be safe for now." Akeno spoke up this time, a series of nods from Koneko and Kiba in agreement.

"Still, I don't know how I feel about Asia visiting this guy by herself." Josuke sighed, glancing at the blonde in worry. "Are you sure you don't think he'll try to pull a stunt like this again?"

"I don't think so. I've already agreed to help Rohan-sensei with his work in any way I can. I believe it will be enough." Asia smiled confidently, earning a small head shake of disbelief from Josuke.

"Seriously, sometimes you're too nice."

"D-don't say that! Rohan-sensei was making fun of me when he said that, too!" Asia whined, meekly waving her arms in the air.

"If something appears to be wrong in the future, we'll make sure to put an end to it. But I'll let Asia handle this end. I trust my bishop knows what she's doing." Rias declared, giving a small wink to the blonde.

"Thank you, president!" Asia smiled in appreciation, happy that she was able to solidify the contract now.

"Of course, Asia. Now then, with all of that settled, why don't we all head home?" Rias offered, her peerage beginning to stand from their seats.

"Sounds like a plan. You guys made us wait longer than usual, you know." Josuke teased as he headed for the door and looked back at Issei and Asia.

"Oh it's not like you were doing anything important." Issei laughed, jabbing him in the shoulder lightly as he caught up with him.

"U-um, actually… there was something I wanted to talk about…" Asia announced to the club and causing them to stop in there tracks.

"There's more? How come you didn't bring it up before?" Okuyasu blinked in question, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he waited.

"A-actually, this is something that only the peerage can hear…" Asia declared, causing Josuke and Okuyasu to grunt in surprise.

"Hey now, why are we being left out of this talk?" Josuke asked curiously, glancing around the clubroom at the other Devils. "Is there something I missed out on?"

"I don't believe so. I'm quite as curious as you are." Akeno voiced her interest, walking back to her seat.

"Well, if Asia says it's for peerage ears only, I'm afraid you two will have to wait outside until we're done." Rias said this time, a small smile of amusement edging at the corners of her mouth.

"That's pretty suspicious…" Josuke muttered with narrowed eyes. He glanced back at Asia, only for the blonde to lamely whistle to the side and pretend she didn't notice him. "Fine… I guess we'll just wait outside the door then."

"Aw, man. Why do we gotta get left out?" Okuyasu complained but complying and following the pompadoured teen out the door. The Devils waited for them to shut the door before all eyes turned to Asia, the blonde collapsing under their collective gazes.

"So what is it that you wanted to tell us, Asia-san?" Kiba spoke up first, deciding to be the first to ask what was on her mind.

 **(JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OST: Peaceful Street Corner)**

"W-well… you see…" Asia mumbled feebly, fiddling with her thumbs as she tried to muster up her courage. With a deep breath she turned to the rest with her eyes snapped shut, "I-I want us to convince Josuke-nii to become a Devil!"

Silence was her immediate answer at first, the rest of the peerage stunned by her sudden exclamation. Issei in particular was blushing, knowing exactly what had brought such a topic up.

"A-Asia, about what Rohan read in us, you don't need to think about it…" Issei coughed out, Rias turning to the brunette in question.

"What exactly do you mean?" Issei flinched under his master's gaze but released a sigh.

"W-well you see, when he was reading through our heads, Rohan kinda revealed that Asia and I… well… secretly want to make Josuke become a Devil." Issei reluctantly admitted.

"It's true! I hadn't thought about it before, but when Rohan-sensei told us that, I realized how much I wanted to, as well." Asia admitted, scratching the back of her head sheepishly.

"During the Rating Game, I understood what was going on so I didn't want to put more pressure on Josuke than he could take, but… I kinda wish he had just gave in and became a Devil, too." It was Issei's turn to confess, rubbing his left arm.

"Look, I understand all of your feelings toward the subject, but Josuke-kun made his feelings on the subject fairly clear." Rias sighed, shaking her head. "I don't think that we-"

"I think that sounds like a glorious idea." Akeno suddenly interrupted, causing the others to blink. "Josuke-kun most likely won't be going anywhere anytime soon, but it'd be nice to make sure that we have him with us for a long time."

"Y-yeah, exactly! I want Josuke-nii to be with us forever!" Asia exclaimed with a shining smile.

"H-he is my best friend, so you know…" Issei was more hesitant to displaying how he really felt on the subject, but it was obvious he shared their sentiments.

"Please, everyone, calm down. Let's take a moment to sit back and think-" Rias tried to dissuade her peerage, holding her hands up as a small bead of sweat trailed down her forehead.

"I think we should try." Koneko surprisingly spoke up this time, Rias and the others taken off guard by her sudden interjection. The petite Devil blushed as she realized how much attention was on her now, casting her gaze away to hide her embarrassment. "Jojo is… our good friend, after all…"

"Oh my, it seems the support behind the idea is stronger than I suspected." Kiba chuckled as he gave Rias a sympathetic glance. "While I would be happy to have Josuke-kun join us, I think I will try and consider his feelings on the subject."

"Thank you, Yuuto." Rias sighed in appreciation.

"All we have to do is convince him it's worth it!" Issei exclaimed, gripping his hand in determination. "President, I'm sure if we offer him the best designer clothes and shoes, he'd be too tempted to pass up!"

"W-wait, Issei! We can't just-"

"Perhaps we should try seducing him?" Akeno offered this time, licking her lips. "If it's for a good cause, I don't mind giving it a shot…"

"Don't get ahead of yourself…" Koneko grumbled, narrowing her eyes at the raven haired Devil.

"While we're on the topic, perhaps we should also think of a way of bringing Okuyasu-san to our side as well." Kiba offered this time.

"Oh yeah, great idea prince!" Issei grinned in agreement.

"Y-Yuuto! I thought you were on my side in this discussion?!" Rias blanched, only for her knight to shrug.

"I just thought that if we're going to talk about this, I might as well bring up all of the possibilities. It is also encouraging that Okuyasu doesn't seem against the idea, just that he wants to grow before becoming a Devil." Kiba elaborated with a chuckle, a groan of defeat escaping Rias. Outside the door in the hall, Josuke and Okuyasu stood close to the door, both sweating nervously as they stared forward.

"You uh… think they don't realize how loud they're bein'?" Okuyasu coughed out quietly, scratching the back of his head.

"No, I don't think they do…" Josuke muttered with a sigh, slinging his bag over his shoulder and turning to the exit. "Let's just get out of here before they get any funny ideas…"

 **To Be Continued…**

 **And all done! Man, finals definitely took up my life the past month, but I'm happy that I can jump back into my fanfics so quickly after finishing them. I'm taking the summer off from school, so hopefully I can dish a few chapters out for this story and my other two while I have the free time :P**

 **Hope you guys liked the chapter, I really wanted to introduce Rohan properly. I wanted a slightly more original take on his introduction while keeping within the parameters set by the story. I also thought it'd be a good chance to give Asia and Issei some personal time on the tube without Josuke around. Have to give everyone the proper face time, after all. We've got about two to three more chapters left before the beginning of the second season of Highschool DxD, though events may turn out differently than you expect in that regard...**

 **Also, in case you didn't know, you should all check out the latest chapter of the ADD OVA I've posted called Guy Time. It's probably the only chapter in there (aside from the Christmas special perhaps) that I would consider canon to the story. Just didn't think I needed to put it into the main story, is all.**

 **Anyways, thanks for reading! Please leave me a review, a favorite and a follow if you'd be so kind!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I don't own JoJo's Bizarre Adventure or Highschool DxD**

Chapter 20

"Kiba-kun, come eat lunch with us~!"

This was the typical greeting the blond Gremory knight heard during the school's break time. Most usually followed by a parade of other similar such inquiries. Kiba acted polite as usual and accompanied the girls when he got a chance. Even though he acted casual during his time with them, Kiba wouldn't deny that he did like the attention he received from the girls of his class. It might have been something Yuuto was used to, but he nonetheless enjoyed the time the girls would spend with him. He might not have been interested in anything serious, but that didn't mean the blond Devil wouldn't partake while it was available to him.

"I'd be happy to do so, ladies. Thank you for inviting me." Kiba said with a gentle smile, one that would naturally cause the girls around him to blush and giggle. With the crowd following close, Kiba lead them further into the school courtyard, taking a seat at a ring of cement benches.

"W-would you like some of my lunch, Kiba-kun?" one of the girls offered. Saori, Kiba remembered. While the crowd of girls might change, he would always remember their names.

"H-hey! You shared your lunch with Kiba-kun last time! That's not fair!" Another one argued, Kotomi he identified, holding up her own lunch box. "Y-you can have some of mine instead!"

"Hey, don't try and seize an opportunity, Kotomi!" A third girl argued, her name being Momo, as she started to crowd closer like the other girls.

"Now, now, everyone. If it's that important to you all, I wouldn't mind having some of each of your lunches." Kiba chuckled, holding his hands up to calm the girls with his signature smile. Somewhere he imagined Issei had a chill go up his spine, which was somewhat amusing by itself. The girls seemed to immediately wither at his gesture, all smiling happily and taking seats again as they held their plates forward for him to pick from. Kiba picked up the boxed lunch he had brought, taking a little from each plate the girls prepared.

"So, Kiba-kun, I heard that Issei Hyoudou and Josuke Higashikata joined your club not too long ago." Kotomi spoke, most likely speaking of such merely to strike up a conversation, though there was a small edge of curiosity. "I always imagined that you might be friends with Higashikata-kun, but what's it like having one of the Pervert Trio part of the club?"

"Issei-san? He's actually quite fun to be around." Kiba declared with a bright smile, his words quite genuine.

"Really, Kiba-kun?! I never would have thought you two got along. That guy's just hopeless when it comes to women." Saori huffed, shaking her head in disappointment. "Higashikata-kun is so nice, too. He doesn't act anything like Issei Hyoudou. I caught that jerk peeping on my club while we were changing a couple times!"

"He peeped on our class during gym once too. Though I'm sure that was just the only time we caught him." Momo sighed. "Seriously, no matter how many times that guy gets smacked for it, he never learns."

"Issei-san can be a bit overbearing when it comes to his rather perverse obsession, but I assure you that he is a good friend." Kiba cut in, causing the girls to blink in shock. "He and Josuke-san have been irreplaceable friends for some time now to me, as well as the new transfer Okuyasu Nijimura."

"I-I heard that thuggish looking guy joined the club too! I-is he really a nice guy, Kiba-kun?" Kotomi questioned, having trouble visualizing the rather tall and loud teen as someone who got along with the blond prince.

"Okuyasu-san is someone you should not judge based upon his looks." Kiba chastised, the girl flinching at his words despite the gentleness. "He can be rather brash at times and acts without thinking, but Okuyasu-san is incredibly loyal."

"I see… you really hold them in high regard, huh?" Momo hummed before giving a small smile. "Well, if you say they're not too bad, I'd be willing to give Issei-san and Okuyasu-san a chance."

"I suppose so… so long as Hyoudou doesn't try anything pervy again." Kotomi grumbled, still having trouble approving of the pervert.

"Josuke-kun at least already has the seal of approval by everyone, so that's not an issue." Saori giggled before blinking and waving her arms. "B-but I do prefer you to him, Kiba-kun!"

"It doesn't surprise me that he does. Josuke-kun seems quite able at getting along with a lot of people." Kiba chuckled, taking no notice of her last statement. "In fact, recently we had an outing with only our male club members. It had honestly been a first for me, but it was some of the most fun I've had in a long time."

"Really? That's so nice!" Kotomi giggled, thinking of how often she saw the blond knight. "You seem to scare off a lot of guys because of how popular you are, but it's cool to hear you're getting along with them. Even if one of them is Issei Hyoudou."

"Careful not to get too many images in your head, Kotomi. We all know what you like to read~!" Momo teased, a red blush covering the previous girls face. "I bet you're getting some guy on guy imag-"

"Stop it! Not in front of Kiba-kun!" Kotomi protested with a cry, the other two girls giggling as they decided to spare her any further embarrassment. Kiba could only chuckle, amused by his fangirls banter.

A moment later the warning bell rang for lunches end, the girls releasing sighs of disappointment before standing up.

"Geez, lunch felt so short…" Momo complained as she looked at her half eaten tray. "Would you mind walking us to class, Kiba-kun?"

"I'm afraid I can't. I have some things I need to grab from my clubroom before my next class." Yuuto explained, standing up as well and bowing in apology. "I'm sorry if I disappointed you."

"N-no, no! It's okay, we understand. We'll see you later, Kiba-kun!" Kotomi waved off, each girl bowing before rushing off to their classes. Kiba could only give a smile and wave, departing in the opposite direction toward the old school building. Kiba threw away the rest of his trash before rounding a corner by the main school building. Before he could proceed, Kiba paused when his eyes landed on a girl. She was unfamiliar to the blond knight, which was strange considering she was rather peculiar.

The girl wore the school's basic skirt, but that was about it. For a top, she wore a black zip up hoodie that was open at the front, a purple tee with yellow and silver designs scattered across. She had a full bust and long legs with black long socks up to her mid thigh. On her hands, she had an assortment of rings on each finger, even one on her thumb. Her hair was black at the top with golden highlights at the bangs, it's length running a bit past her shoulders with nothing taming it in place. Her eyes were hazel brown, focused on the sky from the look of it. She was currently smoking a rather long cigarette, the tobacco shining red at one end as she inhaled.

"Oops. Looks like I got found pretty quick." The girl mused with little care in her voice, blowing out a cloud of smoke before glancing at Kiba from the side. "Yo."

Kiba wasn't quick to answer, tilting his head in question before shaking his head. "Hello. I hate to pester you, but you should probably put that out. Teacher's tend to frequent this area after lunch to make sure students are attending their classes." He informed her, the girl raising a brow as she gave no immediate response. As it seemed like she wasn't going to say anything, Kiba decided to move past her, having his own things to do.

"Well, that's a surprise." She suddenly chuckled, Kiba stopping and glancing at the girl curiously. "You look like the type to tell me 'smoking is bad', or 'you shouldn't do that' and all that jazz. You look like the model student type after all."

"I don't see too much of a point in that." Kiba honestly spoke with a curt smile. "You don't look like the type who cares for my opinion or feelings on the matter. As a classmate, I'd rather warn you than see you get in trouble for a dumb mistake." The girl laughed at that, ash falling off the end of her smoke.

"At least you know enough not to tell a girl what to do." She smirked, reaching into her pocket and pulling out an open box of cigarettes and holding it out to him. "Wanna try one?"

Kiba chuckled and shook his head, holding up a hand to dismiss it. "That's alright. While I am in no control of your habits, I don't feel the need to try it for myself."

"Suit yourself, blondie." She shrugged, stuffing it back into her hoodie pocket. "The name's Hazel, by the way. Hazel Yaoyorozu."

"Yuuto Kiba. It's a pleasure to meet you." Kiba introduced, placing a hand on his chest and bowing politely.

"Geez, you're so formal. Try relaxing a bit, would ya?" Hazel giggled with a smirk. "But I guess you wouldn't pull girls like you do if you were too normal, huh?"

"I merely spend time with them during school. I'm not attempting to seduce them." Kiba disregarded, earning a small scoff from Hazel.

"So what, you telling me you're still a virgin even with all those girls?" Hazel bluntly asked, the blond knight blinking for a moment as he was taken back by her rather forward question.

"... I am. Though I'm not sure how proper it would be to discuss it with you so casually." Kiba declared, his words causing Hazel to blink as the cigarette in her mouth fell limp on her lips, almost escaping had she not caught it with her hand before releasing a loud laugh.

"No way, you really are too proper! Geez, man!" She continued to tease, Kiba feeling a sweat drop on the back of his head as she rolled. "Oh, god… I can't believe I'd meet such a proper guy here… especially after hearing about some group called the Pervert Trio." She steadied her laughs, wiping her eyes of what would remain. "But I guess you gotta have a balance, huh?" She tossed her cigarette on the ground and stomped on the ash with her black boot and putting it out. "Well, I should both probably get goin'. It was nice meeting ya, Knight-san."

"Knight?" Kiba repeated, raising a brow and narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

"Yeah. Mr. gentlemanly knight type. Is that a problem?" She easily deflected, her words doing work in somewhat assuaging his suspicion. It hadn't been the first time someone called him a knight without actual knowledge of his position, if he was being honest.

"I see… well, I should be going as well. It was… interesting meeting you as well, Yaoyorozu-san." Kiba chuckled, unsure what to make of the girl in front of him. She seemed to groan at the name, shaking her head.

"Don't call me that, the name's way too damn long. Either call me Yoyo or Hazel. Might as well since I've got a nickname for you." Hazel said, pushing off the wall and turning her back to him as she started to walk off.

"Should I see you around, I'll remember to do that." Kiba smirked, turning back to his original path and departing from her. He glanced back for a moment to peek at the punk, watching as she rounded a corner and vanished from his sight. "Such a strange girl…" He muttered to himself before shaking his head, remembering that he was now running late to grab his equipment for his next class. As he walked along the dirt path leading to the old school building, the blond Devil heard his phone's text chime, reaching into his pocket and pulling it out. Swiping it open, he saw a message that immediately caused him to freeze where he stood.

 _From Bakuro: Found something on EXCB. Thought u'd wanna know._

Kiba's expression fell into a hardened scowl, a rush of emotions immediately washing over his entire body and causing him to stiffen where he stood. It was obvious what his informant was talking about, at least to Kiba. It was something he was always on the lookout for. Something that Rias was unaware that he was still searching for.

Collecting himself, Kiba quickly texted back his response.

 _What is it? I do not want my time wasted._

It didn't take long for his informant to answer him back, the blond knight thankful he wouldn't have to wait too long for a response.

 _It's big, but we gotta meet. Can't risk tellin' u like this. Church could be monitorin'._

Kiba released an anxious sigh, unsure what to do with this response. Part of him felt something was strange, that it seemed suspicious to receive such information out of the blue. Despite his gut feeling, Kiba didn't want to risk the loss of possible information. This was **far** too important to be paranoid over small details.

 _Kiba: Should we meet?_

 _Bakuro: Yeah. We'll meet after you get off school. I got a place in mind, too._

Kiba didn't like this at all. While he was desperate for information, he didn't like having their meeting spot be decided for him. While Bakuro was an old informant, trust wasn't in high demand between them. Kiba paid him, and Bakuro provided information when needed. It wasn't a relationship that required true trust up to this point.

 _Kiba: We will meet where I indicate._

 _Bakuro: Alright, don' get all serious. Where?_

 _Kiba: I'll let you know when I'm on my way._

Kiba didn't bother to look at the answer as his phone chimed again, stuffing his phone back into his pocket. A hot core was sitting in the pit of Yuuto's stomach now, urging him to act. Part of Kiba wanted to leave school and meet with Bakuro now, but considering that would raise suspicion with Rias, he'd rather not try something so risky. Kiba loved his master like a sister, but he didn't want to involve her in this case. Neither her or any of his friends. This was something Kiba wanted to accomplish alone.

 _I have to do this. For them._

* * *

"Alright, I'm off!" Asia announced with a wave, the blonde bishop departing from the clubroom for her next contract. Issei watched her leave with a bit of reluctance, biting his bottom lip as he forced a wave for the girl.

"Still worried about Rohan?" Rias easily guessed, the brunette flinching as he realized his master was watching him. "Don't worry, she'll be fine. Asia said that the last time she visited him, Rohan asked her permission before using his Stand ability on her."

"I know, but… it's just that guy gives me the creeps now…" Issei groaned, rubbing his arm. "I just don't know how much I trust that guy being alone with Asia…"

"I can't say I blame you, but considering that there really isn't a reason for Rohan to do something since Asia's basically giving him any information he wants, you should relax a bit more." Josuke offered, his eyes glued to a clothing magazine. While Josuke had been a bit apprehensive about the idea at first as well, it eventually faded after several days of Asia's continued visits, each one with Asia coming back and telling them of the art and ideas that Rohan would share with her.

"I-I just can't help it! What if all this is-is just to work up to him doing something dirty! Men are all dogs, after all!" Issei argued, his imagination running wild as he thought of a rather steamy attack by the mangaka on the blonde Devil.

"With his ability, what would be the point of doing that be?" Rias sighed, knowing that Issei was just being overprotective. Rias wouldn't admit it, but his concern for Asia was also making her somewhat jealous.

"President, have you seen Kiba-kun?" Akeno suddenly spoke, at her usual spot sorting through different papers before glancing around. "Did he depart for his contract already?"

"Oh yeah, I haven't seen the prince all day, either." Issei blinked, glancing around the room curiously.

"It's alright, don't worry. Yuuto texted me earlier saying that he wasn't feeling good and requested the night off. I let him head home to try and get some rest. He said if he feels better, he'll try and show up for the night, at least." Rias reassured the others, leaning on one hand as she watched them. "But I've also noticed Okuyasu-san isn't here. Anyone know where he might be?"

"Ah, yeah. He told me during class." Josuke perked up, suddenly remembering when he bumped into the punk. "He said that he needed to go shopping for some food and feed his dad. He said he'll be back a little later, too."

"Ah, I see. Okuyasu-san truly has it rough, doesn't he?" Rias hummed with a sympathetic frown. "Even though his father is in the house, he basically lives alone there."

"From what Sona has shared, they've yet to find anything that might help repair his father, either." Akeno spoke up, her voice conveying a bit of concern.

"Yet, through all of it that big goof still manages to show up with a big grin, huh?" Issei sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Gotta give it to him for staying strong."

"It's a shame that I can't fix his dad, either. His body functions pretty weird, sorta like how Issei's arm is now." Josuke thought back to his first attempt, only repairing part of Okuyasu's father's body before it almost immediately reverted back to a monstrous mess.

"Not to mention his mental state. Even if we were to put illusionary magic around his father it would do him little good if he's unable to function on his own." Rias added, feeling a bit guilty for their lack of progress.

"Okuyasu's handled it all pretty well so far. I'm just glad we got him to join us." Issei said, rubbing the back of his head. The remaining club members could only nod, also appreciative that they were able to gain the punk as both a friend and ally. Who knows what would have happened had they never encountered the brothers. Okuyasu might have died as well. Something the entire peerage was grateful did not happen.

* * *

Kiba wanted to take little chance that his meeting with Bakuro would be caught by Rias. When the end of school had finally come, the blond knight texted his informant back and told him to meet up at the town park next to the center fountain. Currently, he was sitting at a bench across from the fountain, staring at his phone to keep busy and waiting on Bakuro's answer should he try to cancel or text him something. It was a bit strange to be coming back to the spot that Issei had been attacked in, but right now Kiba needed the privacy for his meeting. It was public enough that there shouldn't be any problems with a surprise attack, but private enough that Kiba shouldn't be caught at this meeting by any of his friends.

 _Friends._ Yuuto found himself physically tense as the word echoed in his mind. The blond knight sighed, lowering his phone to his waist. _I thought I told myself a long time ago that I wouldn't make any friends. Not until I achieved my goal._

In truth, Kiba felt a bit of shame. Lately, his personal goal had drifted to the back of his mind with all the activity going on around them. Josuke and Issei joining them, the Fallen Angels, the Rating Game, and so on. Many of these events had served as a distraction. But that was most likely due to his incapability to gain any information of late. Even so, he had decided some time ago that this was why the relationships he formed outside of the Occult Research Club would be superficial. He didn't want any distractions. At the same time, he would be able to go about his business and keep the ones who were important to him out of it.

But of course, the day that Josuke and Issei came along, things changed. Kiba found himself looking forward to each night, wondering what shenanigans the two had stirred up. After the incident with the Fallen Angels, he found Issei starting to become friendlier, in his own way, and include him in some of his plans. Josuke acted as if they had been friends for the longest time, having put so much of his own life on the line for everyone's sake. And then Okuyasu joined their club, adding even more to their mayhem. There was something about the boisterous punk that made him immediately click with the group despite his previous position against them, but Kiba guessed it was because he was truly just a lovable goofball under his rather thuggish exterior.

 _This is my burden to bear. I won't bother them with this problem. No one else will come to harm from my selfishness._ Kiba told himself, trying to reassure himself that it was the right thing to do. As a man, Kiba felt there were some things best done alone. Though in truth, he wondered if this was really one of those times.

"Hey, Kiba!" The blond knight heard someone whisper shout nearby, glancing to his left. He saw a rather short and plump man giving him a rather pained wave. "That you?"

"What do you think, Bakuro?" Kiba sharply replied, in no mood to play his informant's games. Bakuro was a local Oni, a Japanese folklore demon who dealt in information. "Come, sit."

"Y-yeah, sorry… just had to be sure…" Bakuro fumbled out with a nervous laugh, moving to the bench and sitting a few feet away from Kiba. "S-so, how you been?"

"I'm not interested in small talk, Bakuro. What was the information you had?" Kiba snapped impatiently. It was irregular for the Devil to act so discourteously, but when it came to this subject, Kiba was almost a different person.

Bakuro's eyes darted around cautiously, wiping his head of sweat and putting his hands up. "N-now listen, Kiba… it's just business. You have to understand th-that they threatened me…"

"What are you…" Kiba began before his eyes widened. He quickly glanced around at the people moving through the park, only to watch their body's stutter before finally disappearing. He jumped to his feet and quickly activated Sword Birth, summoning a Devil slaying sword and holding it toward Bakuro. "Who put you up to this?!"

"I-I didn't wanna do it I-I didn't have a choice!" Bakuro pleaded, holding his hands up in surrender upon seeing his blade.

"Who did it then?!" Kiba ordered furiously, half tempted to cut into Bakuro's arm to hurry him to speak.

"That would be us." Kiba whipped around as fast as possible, sword forward and ready for an attack. Above in the sky, Kiba saw two figures hovering over the fountain. It was a man and a woman, both with feathery black wings. The woman had dark purple hair and her outfit consisted of tight leather straps over her chest and waist, while the man next to her wore a simple black shirt and leather pants.

"Fallen Angels…" Kiba muttered in annoyance. _I was foolish not to check the people for an illusion._ "What are you doing in Gremory territory? It seems your people are anxious to break our truce."

"That's got nothing to do with this. This is extremely personal." The male huffed, glaring down at Kiba.

"Not long ago, I believe your master killed a few of our warriors, correct?" The female spoke this time, more of an edge in her voice than the males. "You sent us one of the traitors, but not all of them."

"That is correct. We would have destroyed all of them if it wasn't for an intervention by an outside party." Kiba declared with no amount of remorse or apology. "That's what becomes of those who would threaten us in our own territory. The same promise is given to you as well."

"You think you can just kill our warriors and get away with it?!" The woman growled furiously, gripping her fist until it was deprived of blood. "Not only that, but instead of sending them all back, you send back the traitor who led them astray?! That was a slap to the face more than anything!"

"This seems to be more than just revenge for your comrades." Kiba easily guessed, causing the two Fallen Angels to pause in their rant. "I'm guessing one of them was a close friend. Why else would you go out of your way for a personal vendetta?" Kiba wouldn't say it, but he knew the look that came with such anger. Anger of loss.

The female Fallen Angel closed her eyes for a moment before opening them narrowly, nodding in acceptance. "It's true. This has nothing to do with our comrades. This is for our sister, Kalawarner."

"You shouldn't have snatched her away from us. She was our family." The male declared this time, summoning a spear of light to his hand. "And now… we're going to take away one of the Gremory household family in repayment."

"Your sister sealed her own fate the day she followed Raynare into Gremory territory." Kiba pointed out, though there seemed to be a somewhat softer tone to his words. Yuuto had to shake this away, realizing that there was no reason to sympathize over what happened. "She along with her comrades threatened our master. Her fate was sealed."

"You're right, she was at fault." The woman agreed, crossing her arms over her chest. "In truth, we both know that to be the case. But…" The woman ground her teeth, a blade of light appearing in her hand. "Even so… call it a selfish fulfillment, but we're getting revenge for her loss. We won't go after your master directly, but she will suffer the same loss as us."

"I guess talking is out of the equation then." Kiba decided that would be the end of their talk, changing his blade to his Holy Eraser and dashing into the tree line.

"W-wait, you said you'd let me leave before-" Bakuro cried out, only to be impaled by a spear of light.

"You've served your purpose. Now begone, demon." The male huffed without care, batting his wings and giving chase to Kiba. "Be careful, sister. He's trying to draw us in close. We have the advantage of wielding light, but he's rather quick as far as I can tell."

"Understood, brother." The female nodded, hovering above the woods cautiously. "Come on out, Devil! We've set up a barrier around the forest! You're not going anywhere!"

Below the two, Kiba kept his back pinned to a tree and did his best to hide his demonic energy, sorting through the possible plans he could come up with to counter the two. _If it were only one of them, I wouldn't be so worried. With two, though, I must be extra cautious. One mistake and I'm done for. They'll try to keep me at a distance with their light spears. I need to fly up and close the distance. The problem is being able to deal with them both at the same time._

A spear of light whizzed past his head, causing Kiba to click his tongue in frustration and shielding his eyes as the mass exploded a few meters in front of him. The moment that the explosion ceased, Kiba sped through the trees to allow himself more time to strategize. He had to take them off guard. The problem was that they had taken him off guard already. Though he realized that it was most likely his own fault. If Kiba had thought it through and been more cautious, he most likely would not have taken so much risk coming without better preparation.

"You can't hide from us forever!" He heard the brother cry above him, snapping his head up to see the Fallen Angel flying toward him with his spear pointed down for a kill. Kiba quickly dashed forward to dodge, not bothering to try and parry with the angle he was coming down at. Kiba saw his chance, though he guessed it was an attempt to draw him out for the other. Even if that were true, if he struck fast enough, he could kill this one before he became a real problem and the other could hit him.

"Power of a knight, grant me swiftness…" Kiba muttered to himself, sheathing his Holy Eraser and taking an Iaido stance. With a sudden flux of his energy, Kiba dashed forward with as much speed as he could muster, hoping to catch the Fallen Angel and cleave him in half.

The male had turned and grimaced as Kiba approached, drawing up his spear just fast enough to block the blade from cutting him in half. With the force behind the strike though, the sword only still cut into the Fallen Angel's rib cage, slicing several bones. The Fallen Angel let out a cough of pain, blood dripping down his lips. Kiba smirked, his Holy Eraser beginning to work it's magic and absorb the spear of light. It would only take a matter of seconds before he cut straight through the black winged male.

"You lose…" Were the first words to come out of the male's mouth, a dark grin on his features. Kiba raised a brow at this before realizing what he meant. The man's block and moment of keeping him in place was part of the plan. His sister had most likely spotted Kiba already.

"Damn it!" Kiba cursed, drawing his sword back and attempting to run, only for a light spear to come soaring forward and pierce him right through the shoulder. The blond knight let out a cry of pain, coughing blood out of his mouth. The burning in his shoulder was nigh unbearable. Yuuto fell to the ground with a thud, gripping his right arm. The female Fallen Angel hovered down, checking on her brother with worry before he gave her a reassuring nod.

"You were at a rather bad disadvantage, Devil. It would have been a rather annoying game of cat and mouse had you kept running, though." The female smiled, her and her brother walking over to Kiba and stooping over him.

"Damn it… damn it all…" Kiba grunted out, his coming demise steadily approaching. _They're going to kill me… I have to do something. I have to-_

A sudden kick in the gut silenced his thoughts, Kiba releasing a pained breath as he buckled over. "Hurt, Devil? Well, it hurt far more when the news came to us about our sister's death. So prepare to endure some more of it." The male declared, delivering another strong kick to Kiba's gut.

"Don't act…" Kiba painfully forced his words, looking up at the man with a sideways glare. "Like you're the only ones… who've lost someone important…"

His words caused the brother and sister to pause for a single moment, but just that. Immediately afterward, the two ground their teeth in anger before starting to beat on Kiba mercilessly, kicking him over and over again.

"You stupid filth! You Devils are so damn disgusting!" The sister growled, kicking Kiba in the face this time. He was becoming a bruised mess, though his Devil durability prevented it from looking as serious as it could have been. The sister placed her foot on Kiba's chest, summoning a light spear to finally end his torment. "I'm getting sick of looking at you!"

"And I'm gettin' sick of watchin' this shit go on."

 **(JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OST: The Hand)**

 ***THUUUUUUUUM***

Kiba blinked as he realized that he was no longer between the two Fallen Angels, now looking up at a much more welcoming figure standing to his right: Okuyasu Nijimura. The punk had his hands stuffed in his pockets and was currently glaring at the Fallen Angels with fury in his eyes. "You mess with a pal o' mine, you're gonna get your shit kicked in."

"O-Okuyasu-san…" Kiba muttered, forcing himself to sit up and look up at the punk. "Wh-how did you get here with the barrier up?"

"I saw ya earlier outside the park an' decided to follow-I mean uh… say hi." Okuyasu quickly corrected with a sheepish goofy grin, for a moment taking his eyes off their opponents to look down at Kiba. "I thought you were meetin' some chick in secret, but it turned out to be pretty damn dangerous. I was tryin' to figure out where you went after those assholes revealed themselves, but I ended up runnin' around this whole damn park until now."

"Damn it, a human slipped through?" The Fallen Angel brother grunted in annoyance. "I'm guessing he's the Stand user we heard about. Though his hair doesn't fit the description."

"So you guys 'sposed to be those Fallen Angel guys, huh? First time seein' ya." Okuyasu hummed, taking several steps forward in front of Kiba. "Not that it really matters to me, either way. All I know is that I'm gonna cave your heads in."

"Pathetic human. You have no understanding of what is going on here. But if you want to die with your Devil friend, then so be it!" The female growled, summoning another light spear in her hand and throwing it directly at the punk. Okuyasu didn't move, but **The Hand** immediately took shape above him.

 ***THUUUUUM*** with a swipe of it's right arm, the light spear was erased before it could come any closer. The Fallen Angels blinked in confusion, Okuyasu standing there without a care in the world as he watched them stand there dumbly. The sister grit her teeth in annoyance after a moment, summoning another light spear and throwing it with greater force than before.

 ***THUUUUM*** Another swipe by his Stand, and the spear was gone. "You can toss that crap all day at me, yer not hittin' shit." Okuyasu proudly chuckled, pointing a finger at the two. "So why dontcha' come here an' settle this the ol' fashion way?"

 _Amazing… to erase the spears of light like nothing… I knew that was the power of his Stand, but it's another thing to see it used so freely…_ Kiba thought with a gulp, looking up at Okuyasu with admiration. _Your power is one of the most terrifying there is, Okuyasu-san…_

"You cocky bastard… if that's what you want!" The brother growled out, summoning a light spear before charging head first at Okuyasu. The punk teen let himself grin a bit at this, watching as the Fallen Angel approached. Now, Okuyasu's Stand was not nearly as strong or as fast as **Crazy Diamond** , but-

 **SHAAA~!** With a closed fist, **The Hand** struck out at the Fallen angel, immediately causing his head to whip back from the force and spit out some blood.

-It certainly packed a fairly decent punch of it's own.

"Brother!" The sister cried out in shock, watching as the male Fallen Angel took a moment to correct his flight path after being knocked back. "Wh-what the hell is this?! Was Raynare really beaten so badly by just some human?"

"I got no idea what you assholes are blabbin' about, so either fight or get lost!" Okuyasu barked, preparing his Stand for another attack on the two. Unlike Josuke, the punk had no need to try and get close or wait for them to attack. He immediately went on the offensive.

 ***THUUUUM***

 **The Hand** swiped space once again, confusing the two as to what Okuyasu was swiping at. That was until they were immediately teleported in front of the punk. The Fallen Angels felt their jaws slacken in shock, glancing up at the stooping teen who continued to glare down at them.

 **SHAAAAAAAAAA~!** Without giving them a moment to react, Okuyasu hurled his Stand forward and allowed it to mercilessly beat on them with a fist rush. The two barely perceived the attack at first, having trouble understanding how they were being overpowered like this.

 **SHOOOORAAAAA!** With a heavy wind up, **The Hand** launched another wide punch and sent the two soaring back through several trees, the Fallen Angel's bouncing off of them and falling to the ground with a heavy thud.

"By the way, don't call me 'just some human', assholes." Okuyasu growled, stuffing his hands back into his pockets while somehow posing menacingly at the two. "The name is Okuyasu Nijimura, and don't forget it!"

"A-amazing, Okuyasu-san…" Kiba muttered, his respect for the punks abilities only growing by the second. While Okuyasu may not seem to think things through too much, he seemed to be a fairly apt fighter.

"Damn right." Okuyasu chuckled, glancing back at Kiba with a goofy grin. "I might not be too smart, but I can still do amazin' shit."

"Y-you…" The two heard one of the Fallen Angels mutter, the female groaning as she forced herself to her knees. "I will… kill you both for this…"

"How you figure that?" Okuyasu huffed in annoyance, narrowing his eyes at the woman and preparing to fight again. "Go ahead and get up if you want. I'll put you right back on the ground."

"We'll see about that…" The sister grunted. Suddenly, the brother who had been silent spread his wings before creating a gust and sending himself flying into the air, hovering above with two light spears in hand.

"That bastard could still move?!" Okuyasu ground his teeth in annoyance, summoning his Stand again as he prepared to wipe the space again. Before Okuyasu had the chance, the brother hurled his light spears forward, seemingly desperate to hit the punk teen as he started to make a barrage of them. "Didn't you get the memo?! That shit won't work, dumbass!"

 ***THUUUM***

 ***THUUUM***

 ***THUUUM***

In continuous swipes, **The Hand** erased each spear before they could hit, unaffected by the volume or the amount dispatched at him. It seemed far too desperate a move to Kiba. The Fallen Angels had seen what Okuyasu was capable of, there was no reason that they would attempt an assault like this unless-

Kiba quickly drew his attention down to the sister, eyes widening as he saw that she was currently making a spear of light, wings spread and ready to charge. Not another moment passed before she flew forward, her spear aimed directly for the Stand user's gut.

"Watch out Okuyasu-san!" Kiba cried out, grabbing his blade and attempting to block. Due to his injury, he had been slow, only able to deflect the attack. Instead of hitting Okuyasu though, it cut through Kiba's arm, causing him to gasp in pain as he barely held his weapon after taking the hit.

"Kiba!" Okuyasu cried out in shock, turning to the two immediately. Thinking quick, most likely on instinct, his Stand swiped through the air again- ***THUUUUM*** -and pulled the two toward him. The sister widened her eyes in shock, unable to struggle as **The Hand** reached out and gripped her shoulders. Right before her brother could throw another spear, Okuyasu held her out to him, using her as a shield.

"S-sister!"

"Don't you make another fuckin' move, bastard!" Okuyasu growled, his Stand spreading its fingers and holding it's hand up to the Fallen Angel's face. "If you try somethin' else, I'll erase her fuckin' head right of her shoulders."

"Wh-what?! N-no! Please, don't!" The brother cried out, dispersing his spear of light from his hand.

"You should end her, Okuyasu-san. They tried to kill the both of us." Kiba spoke unsympathetically.

"P-please, no! D-don't kill me!" The Fallen Angel cried out, desperation seeping in her voice and eyes. Okuyasu, for once, seemed very sure of what he was going to do. He glanced up at the brother, eyes still narrowed dangerously.

"You get the fuck out of here with your sis. If I see you two come back here again, I'll erase your asses myself." The punk teen declared, releasing the sister and watching as she fell to the ground. She looked back at Okuyasu in fear, unsure if she was actually being freed. "Well?! Hurry the hell up before I change my mind!"

"Y-yes!" she cried out, not spending another moment waiting. She quickly flew up to her brother, the two hugging once they reached one another. They spared a single glance at Okuyasu, the tall teen's eyes daring them to try something again. With a new fear instilled within them both, the Fallen Angels turned to the barrier in the sky, dispersing it before taking flight. The sky returned to its normal hue, the sun setting on the day.

"Why…" Kiba muttered, glancing up at Okuyasu in wonder. "Why didn't you… kill her? Kill either of them?"

Okuyasu glanced back at Kiba and gave a rather blank expression. Saying nothing, he instead went over to the blond Devil and hoisted his arm over his shoulder, trying his best to be careful and not hurt the knight any further.

"Wanna get some ice cream?" He asked, his words causing Kiba to merely blink in confusion.

* * *

Utterly defeated and humiliated, the brother and sister Fallen Angels flew into the abandoned church. They were thankful that despite Rias having taken the place before, she had not made any precautions to destroy or watch it, giving them a moment of respite.

"We were completely overpowered…" The brother grumbled, rubbing the bruises he gained from **The Hand's** barrage of punches. The two took a seat at the alter, both forced to let their wounds heal on their own.

"We shouldn't have come here. It was a mistake in the first place." His sister sighed tiredly, gripping her arm in frustration. "Why did Kalawarner have to follow that bitch in the first place..?"

"Perhaps we didn't strive to become strong enough…" The brother admitted, scratching the back of his head. "We settled for what strength we had. She had strived for something more. Something Raynare supposedly offered her…"

"Not that either of them got it in the end." This voice belonged to neither of them, both freezing in fear as they immediately recognized it. They glanced to their right, now seeing a shadowy figure walk out. It was Hazel Yaoyorozu, the girl who had met Kiba just that day.

"L-Lady Hazel…" The brother muttered before he was immediately silenced with a glare from Hazel, the punk holding up a hand.

"I told you both that trying to get revenge for your sister was dumb. You'd both just end up getting killed." Hazel shook her head in disappointment, crossing her arms. "You're lucky the guy let you off with an asskicking. Had it been Rias Gremory or anyone else who had you at their mercy, you wouldn't be sitting here."

"Wh-what do you plan to do to us, Lady Hazel?" The sister asked fearfully this time, scooting closer to her brother subconsciously.

"Relax. I'm gonna punish you, but it's not like I'm part of Kokabiel's regime." Hazel sighed, going over to one of the remaining podiums in the abandoned church and taking a seat. "First, you're both going to write a report, word for word, about what happened with the Devil and the Stand user. I only got there toward the end. After that, I'm putting you both through a week of hellish training. Got it?"

"Y-yes, Lady Hazel…" They both answered in resignation, unable to protest her decree in any way. They cast their heads down in shame, unable to meet her eyes. Both seemed to hold Hazel in high regard despite the supposed difference in age. The highlighted haired teen sighed, shaking her head.

"The whole point of coming here wasn't to start any fighting. We're here to observe, got it? If you do this shit again, I won't be so lenient. We've got orders from Azazel, after all." Hazel explained further, placing her hands on her hips after standing up. "If you can't handle that, you can go back home. I'll get one of the others from our regime to-"

"N-no, Lady Hazel! We want to stay." The sister proclaimed, almost pleading. "W-we will do as you ask. We just had an… error in judgement."

Hazel let out a small laugh and nodded. "That's one way to put it. But fine. You two can stay, but no more going off on your own. Whatever resentment you might have for the Gremorys is gone from today onward. Got it?"

"Y-yes, Lady Hazel…" The two accepted, both forcing themselves to stand before bowing in apology.

"Good. Now get downstairs and start healing up." She ordered them. The two did as told, opening up the basement of the church hall and heading inside. Hazel released a sigh before pulling out a cellphone, dialing a number and sending a call. "Hey. The situation was handled. I put them both back in line."

" _Good to hear from you too, Hazel. How are you doing?"_ The voice on the opposite end drawled slightly in amusement, Hazel rolling her eyes.

"Shut up, old man. I'm just letting you know what's going on. How are things on your end?"

" _Going fine. I've got the slip, though I'm not sure when I'll be summoning him. And could you not call me old man? I know you like to act tough in front of your subordinates, but there's nothing wrong with calling me da-"_

"Sounds like you've got things handled. See ya later." Hazel blankly interrupted with a deadpan, pulling the phone away from her head and hearing a small whine from the speaker before hanging up. She allowed herself a small amused smirk and chuckle, shaking her head as she headed toward the entrance of the basement. "Stupid old man."

* * *

Kiba wasn't sure why Okuyasu had decided to bring him to an ice cream shop, of all things. Thankfully his demonic energy had helped to speed up his healing, so he wasn't in the worst shape despite his previously painful wounds from the light spears. He also felt in no position to argue against what Okuyasu suggested, after all he was indebted to him for saving his life, though he doubted that Okuyasu felt that way.

"Here, I got you rocky road." Okuyasu spoke, approaching the table with two cones. One was mint and chip from what Kiba could tell and figured what the second was.

"Th-thanks…" Kiba muttered, taking the cone hesitantly with his good arm. Okuyasu nodded, taking a seat across from him, the two seated at a table right outside the shop.

"Me an' Josuke found this place while you guys were out doin' contracts. This place has got the best damn ice cream in town, no lie!" Okuyasu blurted out carelessly, acting as if the two hadn't just been in a life or death situation. With a few licks of his cone, the punk teen released a strange squeal of pleasure, one that slightly caught Kiba off guard. "So good~!"

The blond Devil looked at his own cone curiously for a moment. He had no problem with ice cream, but he didn't think it was good enough to be so dramatic about. Then again, Okuyasu was always quite emotional with such things. Giving it a lick, Kiba was surprised to find the taste and texture of the ice cream cone was indeed amazing. It was perfectly soft and the flavor tasted real rather than artificial like some of the bucket brands he had tried before. "This is really good…"

"Told ya!" Okuyasu laughed loudly, grinning dumbly before continuing to lick away at his ice cream. Kiba decided to do the same, the two falling silent as their focuses fell back on their treats. Kiba wasn't sure what to say at this point, anyway. Okuyasu seemed to know that he went to the park for a reason, but hadn't even asked what it was. It had been a well kept secret, and the one person he least expected to come upon it did.

"So you wanna know why I spared 'em?" Okuyasu suddenly spoke, pulling Yuuto away from his musings to look up at the punk.

"W-well… I suppose I do." Kiba nodded, unsure why Okuyasu waited until now to address his previous question. "They had tried to kill both of us. I saw no reason for your mercy."

"Guess you could say I'm pretty sympathetic." Okuyasu admitted, scratching the back of his head. "But only 'cause it was the two of them. Two siblings who were fightin' together. I guess I kinda get sappy when it comes to siblings."

Kiba began to understand, his eyes looking with sympathy for the Stand user. Despite everything, despite his poor skills at mentoring Okuyasu or even taking care of him, the punk couldn't stop thinking about his own brother. Keicho did, after all, still save his life in the end. "I see. I'm sorry for asking."

"You know, I saw that look on your face." Okuyasu suddenly said, Kiba blinking in question. "When I first saw you walkin' through town, I saw that look on your face. It's why I decided to follow and see what's up." The punk admitted, glancing at Kiba from the side. "Sorry fer gettin' in your business, but… I couldn't shake the look either."

"What exactly… is the look you're talking about?" Kiba asked curiously, unsure what Okuyasu was driving at.

"A look like you were lookin' for something. Lookin' to get revenge on someone." Okuyasu declared, his voice becoming slightly deeper and more serious as he spoke. "Like you were gonna cave someone's head in."

Kiba was silent in response, unable to think of a proper answer to his statement. His words had aptly described how he felt the entire day, after all. Even now, after getting no information through it all, he felt the same.

"I know that look pretty well by now." Okuyasu continued, looking straight forward and narrowing his eyes. "I had to look at it in the damn mirror for the first month since my brother died."

"Okuyasu-san…" Kiba muttered, eyes widening slightly as he heard this. He hadn't realized that the excitable goofy punk of their club still thought so strongly about what happened. He had put on a strong front, or at least was good at letting it drift to the back of his mind. It was something Kiba had taken far more time to learn when he became Rias' servant.

"I dunno what's got you like this, and you prolly don't wanna say what it is." Okuyasu muttered in understanding, turning back in his seat so that he was facing Kiba. "But that doesn't mean you gotta deal with it by yourself, Kiba."

The blonde felt Okuyasu's words cut into his chest, guilt covering his face as he cast away his gaze. "What happened to me was… something very personal, Okuyasu-san. Something I'd like to deal with on my own." Kiba declared, glancing up at the punk again with determination filling his eyes. "I… I shouldn't have friends like you or the others. Not after what happened to me. I'm not going to-"

 ***WONK***

Kiba felt a sharp pain on the top of his head, slightly buckling over and holding the now sore spot. "O-Okuyasu-san?! What was-"

"Stop tryin' to act all cool and edgy. Stick to bein' mister ladies man or somethin'." Okuyasu bluntly told him, finishing the ice cream in his right hand before leaning on the table.

"O-Okuyasu-san! I'm being serious when I-"

" **So am I**!" the punk teen reached over and grabbed Kiba's shirt, pulling him face to face. "Tryin' to shoulder that crap all on your own is bullshit! I tried it! I tried to see if I could! Maybe you're stronger than I am, but I know how fuckin' heavy that weight is!" Okuyasu snapped in anger, his words causing Kiba to pause. "If you let it, that shit'll consume you. I'm not smart, but I know what it was like gettin' close to that point."

"What do you expect me to do?! Put this burden on others?! They were my friends, Okuyasu!" Kiba snapped back, frustrated tears now threatening to escape the edge of his eyes. "It's up to me to avenge what happened to them!"

"So what if it is?! That doesn't mean you can't get help on the way to gettin' it!" Okuyasu declared, his words once again causing Kiba to stumble. "You wanna take on all this shit alone, but you'll just end up drownin' in it. Today, you almost died 'cause of it, right? Who the fuck you gonna avenge if you're dead?!"

Kiba felt whatever retort he might come up with die in his throat. Okuyasu was right. He did almost die today. And had he died, all of his friends, all those from the Excalibur experiments, would be left without peace. All would have died for nothing.

Okuyasu let go of his shirt, taking a heavy breath and shaking his head. "You don't gotta do it all on your own, Kiba. I'm not smart, but… I know that much. I know there are things I can't do, so… I'm glad I got friends that can help me do 'em instead." The punk explained, taking a seat again. "You don't gotta tell me whatever happened with your friends… but that doesn't mean you shouldn't rely on me or anyone else when the time comes, Kiba."

Yuuto took a moment to soak in the punk's words, slowly taking his own seat and casting his gaze to the ground. Was it really okay to rely on others for this burden? Kiba had been set on keeping them from that, as he couldn't bear with the thought of those he now cared about coming to harm because of him. But, as Okuyasu said, who would avenge his comrades should he die? He needed the help. Today alone proved that. And this punk, this goofball, had offered to help him without even knowing what exactly he needed help with. A small chuckle escaped the blond knight's mouth, unable to hold back a single tear that streamed down his cheek.

"I suppose… if you're willing to offer it to me…" Kiba relented, giving a shaky smile to Okuyasu as his voice almost cracked. "I would be happy to have it…"

Okuyasu gave the grandest grin he'd given all day, chuckling a bit and nodding. "Then you got it. Don't be afraid to ask the others, either. But I'll be satisfied with you relyin' on me for now." The punk accepted with a boisterous laugh.

"You're an unbelievable individual, Okuyasu-san." Kiba laughed, unable to hold back for once. It had been a while since he talked about the subject at hand. But for the first time, he was able to smile through it. Because he now had someone he could look to when he needed. "When the time comes, I will inform you. This lead was a trap, sadly, and nothing I wanted to know has come of it. But when I do find something, I hope you're ready."

"You can count on me." Okuyasu puffed his chest out and pounded it with a grand grin. "Now all we gotta do is figure out how to get back without tellin' everyone what happened."

"I believe I can think of a proper excuse for us." Kiba chuckled before relaxing in his seat. "But again, Okuyasu-san. Thank you."

 **To be continued…**

 **I'd like to give thanks again to my beta reader nitewind for his hard work on the chapter!**

 **Alright, there's the chapter! Not as long as I would have liked, but I think I did enough to get my point across for this one. Okuyasu and Kiba have taken a step further in their friendship, and Kiba has become more open with what he's going to do. This WILL have an effect on the Excalibur arc. The weight of it, well, I suppose you'll see for yourselves when the time comes.**

 **I figured the bros of the series deserve their spotlight, so why not have it together? Kiba needed some developing, and Okuyasu's just awesome lol**

 **I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, I got the second half done surprisingly fast this time aorund. I've started a new story, though (to my shame lol) and thought that if I'm going to begin another one, I better dish this chapter out for you all as well. Alright, remember to leave me a review, a follow and a favorite if you can. Peace!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: I own neither JoJo's Bizarre Adventure or Highschool DxD**

Chapter 21

"And so, that's the situation we're in."

It had been over a week since Rohan's first encounter with Asia. Ever since, things had been going rather smoothly with their contract. As promised, he wouldn't use **Heaven's Door** without her permission, and Asia helped to give him material from her past experiences, both recent and old. Today, though, Rohan was asked to meet with Asia's master and several others at his home. Standing in his studio were Jotaro Kujo, Sona Sitri, and Rias Gremory. Due to his Stand, they knew it was a matter of time when their enemies would end up finding Rohan. Right now, their main focus was to inform him of the coming danger.

"I see. So a child who can't let go of a familial grudge is gathering Stand users to fight your brother." Rohan hummed, simplifying the overall conflict, crossing his arms and leaning on his studio desk. "The plan seems rather short sighted, in the long run. A lot of time wasted focusing on gathering Stand users just to assassinate someone."

"If Myrcella were to succeed in her plan, she would most likely cause another great Faction war of the Underworld." Sona explained, shaking her head. "While her main goal might be more focused on his death, her actions could spawn something just as terrible, if not worse."

"Your Stand, judging from what Issei was able to tell us, is quite powerful in it's own right." Jotaro spoke this time. "To enforce your will on someone simply by writing in them… that'd be a terrible power for them to gain on their side."

"You think that I would join them?" Rohan questioned, though sounding more curious rather than offended.

"I'm not sure what you'll do. To be honest, you've become a wild card among those possibly involved." Jotaro admitted, tilting his hat down as he spoke. "I don't think you have any reason to be on our side, even if you don't have any to be on theirs. But it's likely they'd attempt to coerce you into joining their ranks, probably come to your house and threaten to kill you if you don't join."

"We've set up protection for your home so that the Stand **Red Hot Chili Pepper** will be unable to go through your electric system, but that doesn't guarantee that they won't try something else." Rias added this time, glancing at the mangaka. "Before we can go any further to protect you, we want to know where you stand."

"You may not be our ally, but as long as you don't become our enemy, we will not make any attempt in forcing you to do so." Sona finished this time. Rohan closed his eyes for a moment, contemplating his collection of data on the situation between the Stand users and Devils. In all honesty, this seemed like a decent opportunity to learn more about other Stands and even more about Devils than what Asia was able to provide him with.

"If I refuse to join your side, will you consider my contract with Asia Argento null and void?" Rohan suddenly inquired, peering at Rias specifically this time. The crimson haired girl blinked in surprise at such a question, but shook her head.

"Your deal with Asia and what is going on here are separate. As long as you don't become our enemy, I will not rescind that contract. It would be rather petty." Rias explained, earning a hum in acceptance from Rohan.

"I see. Then I think I will remain neutral in this conflict." Rohan decided, pulling out his computer chair and taking a seat. "While the material I might gather from such a fight might be rather valuable, it would be hard to use if I ended up dead. And while perhaps becoming a Devil might be interesting and increase the length of my life, I would not wish to be under someone else's servitude."

It was a logical statement. Jotaro glanced at the two Devils who both gave a nod in understanding. "I see. As long as you don't try and obstruct us, that's all we can ask. Rias has agreed to put more protection around your home so that you might be kept safe should they notice you, if they haven't already, that is."

"I'd rather have a way to summon one of you in case of emergency, should the need arise. You can add that to my contract as part of the agreement, and I'll raise the price I pay Asia for her services." Rohan suggested instead.

"We might not always be so readily available, but if that's what you want." Rias nodded, walking over and handing Rohan a red slip with her crest on it. "For a fast summoning, you will have to place your blood directly on the seal. It will immediately alert us to come and find you."

"Understood." Rohan nodded, turning around in his chair and placing the slip on his desk. "I'll be sure to put it to use should the need arise."

"Thank you for your time, Rohan-san. With such an interesting Stand, I hope the chance to work with you may appear." Sona declared, bowing politely before turning to leave.

"If you encounter any other Stand users, even if they're not involved with Myrcella, please alert me. We have to be careful of whoever else might be running around." Jotaro said, pulling a card out and handing it to Rohan. "That's all I have to say. I'll be taking my leave."

"I believe that was all the business I had as well." Rias nodded before turning to the door. "Please let us know if-" a small magic circle appeared by Rias' ear, the girl blinking as she heard a voice from the other side. "Are you sure, Akeno? ... I see. I'm on my way right now. I'll let the others know as well."

"What's going on?" Sona asked, brow furrowing as she approached her childhood friend. Rias turned to her with eyes filled with determination.

" **Red Hot Chili Pepper** has been sighted in town by one of our familiars. He's currently chasing a young boy, who's most likely a Stand user."

* * *

A young boy of ten or eleven was dashing for his life down the sidewalk of Kuoh's streets. He was dark skinned, and obviously a foreigner from what anyone could tell. It was late out and very few people were active at this time. Even the police seemed rather absent from the area, it was so barren. That wasn't completely on the boy's mind right now, though. What was on his mind was the rather frightening creature that was on his tail.

"Come on, kid! You can't keep runnin' forever~!" the monster cackled, revealed to be the electric Stand controlled by one of Myrcella's servants. He was currently phasing from lightpost to lightpost, grinning evilly down at the boy. "You just gotta show us that power, kid! It's no big deal! If it's nothin' impressive, well, I might just leave you alone! If it's got some potential, though…"

"L-leave me alone!" The boy cried out, tears falling down his face as he continued to flee. Taking a quick left, the child dashed to the park. By logic, there shouldn't have been much in the park for the electric Stand to transfer to. The kid had to play it safe, stay away from any lights that might be around. Of course, when he reached the stone path, he realized that there were actually lights along the path.

"Nice try, kid. You almost lost me there~!" Chili Pepper cackled, arms crossed as it flared electricity around the boy. The child could only tremble as he fell on his butt, staring up at the intimidating Stand in fear. "Now then, why don't you show me what you're hidin'?"

"That's enough!" Both the boy and the Stand paused, both glancing toward the entrance of the park to see Rias standing there with her peerage, a red summoning circle below her. Josuke and Okuyasu stood in line with them, the entire peerage preparing to attack but waiting for the order.

"Okuyasu-san, the child!" Kiba shouted out.

"Got it!" The punk grunted in understanding, **The Hand** materializing above him and swiping.

 ***THUUUUUM***

A long streak of erased space could be seen, lined up with the child, before it quickly replaced itself and brought the kid to the peerage, Issei and Koneko taking a step in front of him protectively.

"Uh oh, I guess I was playin' with my food for too long, huh?" The electric Stand cackled, crossing its arms as it watched the Devils lazily, balancing itself on its tail. "So, what now? You guys wanna fight or somethin'?"

"Where's the rest of your circus act?" Josuke asked with narrowed eyes. "You gonna bring out the guy with the birds? Or maybe your 'mistress' is going to finally show her face to us."

"My beautiful lady doesn't need to waste time on you guys. She's got bigger fish to fry, after all~!" Chili Pepper cackled again, grinning viciously at them. "But hey, I'm willing to play around with you guys a bit. I've been meanin' to test out my power. Especially on you, Josuke Higashikata."

"Is that right? We can go right now, if you want." Josuke scoffed, taking a step forward with his hands stuffed away in his pockets.

"Hey, wait a damn sec! If anyone's gonna fight that bastard first, it's gonna be me!" Okuyasu growled out, taking a step forth as well and pointing at the remote Stand. "I still owe ya a beatin' for my brother, bastard!"

"Well~, look who it is! Keicho's little bro!" Chili Pepper laughed as he watched the now steaming Stand user. "It looks like you both didn't heed my warning, though I figured as much anyway. That reminds me, little Elmenhilde sends her regards."

Okuyasu flinched at the mention of the vampire, eyes showing a bit of vulnerability before he ground his teeth in frustration. "Wh-where is she?" He couldn't think of much else to say. He had a lot to say to Elmenhilde, but he wasn't sure if it would be good or bad. The vampire had been on his mind more than a few times since her disappearance.

"Sorry, but can't disclose that." Chili Pepper denied, turning its back to them and smirking. "What? You plannin' on tryin' to kill her, too?"

"H-hell no! I-I just wanna talk to her, damnit!" Okuyasu admitted, Josuke and Issei widening their eyes in surprise to hear him say that. They had considered the fact that the loli vampire might have been his ally before the whole mess, but hadn't realized that he might have also become friends with her as well.

Chili Pepper seemed rather surprised by this too, raising a brow curiously before laughing. "Yeah, right. Like Elmenhilde would really talk to a loser like you, anyway. Whatever semblance of friendship you had with her, you might as well consider it gone! Who would waste time on an idiot who can't even save his own brother?"

Okuyasu felt his breath hitch in his throat, sweat trailing down his brow. Chili Pepper hit with a low blow, one that made the punk hesitate in his anger, if only for a moment. Seeing his distress, Rias narrowed her eyes dangerously and took a step in front of Okuyasu.

"Either fight or flee, Stand. I will not allow you to toy with my friend like this. And I will definitely not forgive you or your master for what you've done." Rias proclaimed in anger, a magic circle forming in her hand. Rias' peerage stepped forward with her, all prepared to start a fight. They may not have been able to directly harm the Stand, but they had plenty of other ways they could stop Chili Pepper short. His power did revolve around the need for electricity after all.

"Hm~, I guess with so many of ya here, I might as well call it a day. But don't think we'll be so generous again. We'll come for you all, soon enough!" Chili Pepper laughed one last time before its body converted fully into electricity, slipping back into the electric lines and escaping in an instant.

With the danger now gone, Rias breathed out in relief as she and her peerage relaxed their powers. "At least we don't have to deal with the enemy, for now. Is he alright, Issei?" She asked, glancing toward the brunette in question who stooped over the child.

"Yeah, he's okay. Doesn't look like he'd been hurt at all." Issei shook his head before offering a comforting smile to the child. "Hey, you can relax now. We'll protect you, okay?"

"W-who are you people? Wh-what was that thing?" The child asked, confusion obvious on his expression.

"There's no need to be worried, now. You're safe." Rias hushed him with a gentle smile, able to bring some reassurance to the boy. "Come with us. We'll keep you safe and feed you if you like." Hesitantly, the boy watched the rest of the teens in fear, but finally nodded. He stood from the ground and forced a small smile, a small fang showing. As the group started to depart from the park, Okuyasu seemed to lag behind. The first to notice was Kiba, who turned back to the punk teen and offered a small smile, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"If you'd like, you can rely on me." Kiba offered, drawing Okuyasu's attention back up to him. With a small sigh and a grin of appreciation, Okuyasu shook his head.

"Naw, I'm okay… but thanks, man."

* * *

The Occult Research Club made their way back to the old school building of Kuoh Academy. To spare the boy any further fright, they decided not to take a magic circle back to the club room. This ended up working out, as Rias had soon called Jotaro to meet them at the old school building. Once they had arrived, they settled the boy into one of the couches and put a plate of food in front of him, allowing him time to relax before they would question him.

"So **Red Hot Chili Pepper** was chasing him?" Jotaro asked, standing alone with Rias at the front of the room while the others remained huddled around the young boy.

"That's right. It was rather strange that he was tormenting the boy so, and that they were interested in such a young child's Stand." Rias hummed, biting her thumb in thought.

"It's not unfounded. There have been a few cases where children gained Stands, and powerful ones at that." Jotaro admitted, glancing at the boy from the side. "Have you learned anything about him, yet?"

"Not yet. He seemed quite shaken by what happened, so I wanted to give him time to relax first." Rias explained, the veteran Stand user nodding in understanding.

"President, I believe our guest is ready to talk." Akeno announced, Jotaro and Rias turning and walking over to join the rest around the couches. The foreign boy shrank slightly at the extra attention, eyes looking around the room for a moment. "It's alright. Take your time. We just want to get to know you."

The boy numbly nodded before finally taking a deep breath. "M-my name is Raj. Raj Maut. I-I'm twelve years old… I've been travelling around with my parents abroad, and we only recently came to Japan…"

"You speak Japanese pretty well, despite that." Josuke commented, sounding rather impressed. "Where exactly are you from?"

"M-my parents taught me several different dialects since I was little…" Raj admitted, shuffling his hands over one another. "I-I'm from India. M-my parents are both doctors… We were on vacation, when…" tears started to form, the boy huddling his legs up against his chest in fear. Akeno took a seat closer to him and wrapped an arm around the boy, hoping to comfort him in his time of despair. "I-I don't know what happened to them… I-I just remember getting hit in the chest by something, and…"

"It's okay, you don't have to keep going if you don't want to." Rias shook her head, offering a gentle smile. "I'll tell you what, we'll do everything we can to find your parents. Until then, you can stay here, with us."

"I-I can?" The boy sniffled, peeking out at them. "Y-you won't leave me alone?"

"That's right. We'll stay right by your side the entire time." Akeno reassured with her staple serene smile, rubbing his back in comfort.

"Leave finding his parents to me." Jotaro suddenly spoke, turning heads toward him. "I should be able to find something with the Speedwagon Foundation."

"Understood, I'll leave it to you, then." Rias nodded in appreciation before looking at her club members. "Josuke, Okuyasu, and Issei. You three can head home for the night. The rest of us will remain here and stay by Raj-kun's side and keep him company."

"Y-you sure you don't want me to stay, president?" Issei spoke up, wanting to be of some help.

"It's quite alright, Issei. I'm sure the four of us will be fine. Go home and let Asia know that everything is okay at the moment. Also, apologize to mother for my absence tonight."

"Y-yes, president." Issei sighed, deciding to just accept his duty.

"Just give us a call if anything comes up." Josuke nodded in acceptance, turning to the door to leave. "I'll make sure to keep my phone on in case of an emergency."

"I'll come runnin' too! I still need to sock that bastard what for again, anyway." Okuyasu huffed in annoyance, but followed Josuke out regardless of his exclamation.

"I'll give you all a ride back." Jotaro offered, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he walked forward to join them. "I'll be up all night, so if anything changes I'll give you a call as well."

"Thank you. And thank everyone for their hard work, today. Now, let's do our best to get settled in with our new guest, shall we? We should have some blankets in the back that should suffice for the night." Rias said, glancing at Koneko who nodded and moved to go and retrieve such.

"Th-thank you for letting me stay here…" The boy sniffled out, turning to Akeno and hugging her tightly, his face burying in her large bust. Issei hesitated at the door in jealousy, eye twitching before Josuke rolled his eyes and pushed him out.

"Come on, hurry up. It's late and I'm tired as hell…" Josuke yawned as he forced Issei to march through the door, the brunette grumbling in annoyance. Josuke stopped at the door though, sparing a glance back at Jotaro curiously. The veteran Stand user had stopped in his stride toward the door, eyes shaded by his hat but his head tilted toward Raj. "Something wrong, Jotaro-san?"

The elder Joestar descendant seemed lost in thought, eyes transfixed on Raj for a bit longer before finally shaking his head. _Why does something feel familiar about this brat?_ "... No, nothing. I just had a thought, is all." He then looked back at Josuke and nodded. "Let's go." Josuke seemed to hesitate in wonder, but decided to brush it off. If Jotaro didn't say anything, then it was likely nothing to worry about.

* * *

"I'm home~!" Issei announced as he kicked off his shoes and walked into his house. Walking into his kitchen, he saw Asia putting several dishes into the washer, the blonde healer the only one in sight. "Guess I missed dinner, huh?" He sighed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Oh, hello Issei!" Asia called out happily before skipping over to the microwave. She pulled out a plate of curry over rice, smiling up at the brunette. "Don't worry, I made sure to set aside your food for the night."

"Oh, thank you!" Issei grinned, taking the plate and a fork she handed to him. _Damn it, she's going to be an amazing bride someday~!_ He thought as he sat down at the empty table and started to eat. "It's really good!"

"Oh, I'm happy to hear that. Your mom showed me how to cook it yesterday, so I thought I'd give it a shot on my own!" Asia flashed a bright smile, happy to hear that her love interest was enjoying her food. "So did everything go alright with the club?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah. Don't worry, no one was hurt." Issei reassured after swallowing his food. "But we did find a kid that's a Stand user. No one asked to see it, but that's probably because he doesn't know how to control it yet. President and the others are going to stay with him for the night, so Josuke, Okuyasu, and I took off for home."

"Oh, I see. I hope that little boy will be okay." Asia hummed in concern, tilting her head in question. "But it is a shame president won't be coming home, either…" Asia suddenly paused, her expression lighting up as she seemed to realize something.

Issei could only blink in confusion, swallowing another bite of food and raising a brow. "What's wrong?"

"... So then… tonight…" Asia muttered, her face starting to light up red. Suddenly, she moved around the table and grabbed Issei's shirt. "C-can I sleep in your bed tonight?!"

"Wh-what?!" Issei blanched in shock, leaning back in his chair from the close proximity that Asia was now in.

"Pl-please?! President always sneaks in to your bed, s-so I want a chance to sleep with you too!" Asia pleaded, her cheeks heating up the more she talked about it.

"T-try not to word it like that! A-and she doesn't really ask my permission for th-that, so…"

"Please, Issei-san?" Asia gave the brunette the cutest puppy dog eye look, one that struck Issei right in the heart and caused him to submit.

"... O-okay, fine… but don't tell president or Josuke about this…" Issei conceded, Asia gasping in shock before smiling as bright as the sun, practically blinding Issei with her innocence.

"O-okay! J-just let me know when you're ready to go to bed!" Asia gave Issei a quick hug before skipping off, most likely to get changed. The brunette could only release a heavy sigh as the blonde left.

"This is gonna be a long night…" Issei muttered. Suddenly his phone went off, the brunette blinking as he reached in his pocket and pulled out his cell, Josuke's name plastered on the front. "What's up?"

" _Don't do anything pervy with Asia just because Rias isn't there."_

"Wh-what?! Wha-how did you-"

" _Considering Rias stayed at school, I imagine Asia wanted to sleep in your room tonight?"_

Issei had to give his best friend credit when it was due. He was pretty spot on in his assumption. "I-I mean… yes, but-"

" _I know where you sleep. I'll DORA you so hard, no amount of chess pieces will bring you back."_ Before Issei could even reply, Josuke hung up the phone, Issei blinking in shock as he put his phone down.

"Issei, I made the bed for us!" Asia called out from the top of the stairs. The brunette could only sigh in exasperation, leaning over in his chair. _This is gonna be a_ _ **really**_ _long night._

* * *

It was half past twelve in the morning but Jotaro was still working hard as ever. The moment that he left the club room, he had called the contacts he had in the prefecture Kuoh resided in. Locating Raj's parents wouldn't be that difficult if they were alive. If they had been killed, he doubted that their bodies would not have been found by now. **Red Hot Chili Pepper** would likely ditch their bodies on a telephone pole. It had no need to worry about hiding or disposing of the bodies in a discreet way, as there was no way that police or the courts could apprehend him, anyways.

The problem was, as far as Jotaro could tell, there were no reports of dead bodies found in town. So, assuming that Raj's parents might still be alive, he began broadening his search, beginning with missing person's reports that might fit Raj's profile. It wouldn't be hard for anyone to find him, considering that he was a foreign national and was quite different looking in appearance. It wasn't long until his contacts reached out to him again, confirming another strange fact: not a single missing person's report that fit the description or name. This was beginning to become even more troubling than he thought, theories now running wild in his head.

In one last ditch effort to confirm his suspicions, Jotaro had the Speedwagon Foundation search out the latest passports to come through Japanese airlines. If Raj was telling the truth about his name and where he was from, then his parents would undoubtedly come up. Jotaro needed confirmation, though. He didn't want to jump to conclusions and paint the child as a possible enemy without proof. Jotaro would clear any doubt in his mind before pointing a finger at a twelve year old.

During his time waiting for his contacts to get back to him, Jotaro poured over old files he had sent to him not long ago of potential Stand users. With the Speedwagon Foundations reach, they had found a multitude of children with the potential for Stands. It wasn't a large number nor were many powerful enough to really grab his attention, but they had kept profiles of the Stand users who had survived the initial awakening.

 _It's unlikely that we have every Stand using child on file, but it doesn't hurt to look through._ Jotaro mused to himself, looking specifically at the files under a tab listed for India. Before he could continue though, Jotaro felt his phone going off in his pocket, reaching in and quickly answering. "Any update?"

" _Ah, Jotaro-san. I'm sorry, but no. We weren't able to find any recent travelers with the surname Maut. There were very few travelling from India in the first place, which made it even easier to narrow down. As far as I can tell though, no family or children have passed through any airports under that surname."_ The Speedwagon Foundation representative declared, Jotaro's eyes hardening the more he heard.

"That kid is lying to us…" Jotaro muttered in anger before huffing out. "Thank you very much for your help. I'll be sure to get the answers I'm looking for from the kid myself." Jotaro couldn't decide if it was because the child was an enemy, or if the child simply didn't trust them. It was understandable that he might not, after all. Josuke and his Devil friends had appeared literally out of thin air. They had left out the part about being Devils, of course, but with the electric type remote Stand chasing him around, it would makes sense that the child might still be guarded. Lying about his name though? That was still rather suspicious.

" _We'll be sure to alert you if anything else comes up, Jotaro-san."_ The representative bid farewell before Jotaro hung up the phone. With a heavy sigh, he glanced at his phone and saw the time. It was rather late, but it would be best to try and inform Rias of this development. He knew something was off about the kid, though he couldn't quite place it. He hadn't felt any malice or ill will from the child, but something felt vaguely… familiar to say the least. That's what bothered Jotaro more than anything.

After several tones on the phone, Jotaro received no answer from Rias' cell. "Hm. They could all be asleep…" He hummed to himself, though the veteran Stand user wasn't very convinced of his own argument. Absentmindedly, Jotaro moved onto another box of files after completing his look through of previously checked child Stand users. He hadn't thought about which one he picked up, only that it was among the few boxes of known Stand users in the listed files of the Speedwagon foundation.

When he pulled up the first file, the first picture he saw was of Steely Dan. Seeing this, Jotaro realized that it was the box of files revolving around the Stand users who had survived during his trip to Egypt long ago. Only a few had remained after their defeats, those such as Hol Horse, Oingo and Boingo, Yellow Temperance. They had either retired from their previous lines of work or continued as guns for hire, though targeting far less dangerous targets than the Joestar bloodline. Jotaro had considered taking those remaining into custody, but decided to leave those that had retired alone while those who still worked as hitmen were doing well to keep under the radar.

Jotaro sipped on a cup of coffee as he decided to take a moment to glance through the files, a bit of nostalgia washing over him. It was doubtful that he would find anything useful here, but he could only wait for a call back from the Speedwagon Foundation for more information. He could go by the old school building to check on Rias, but he'd be annoyed if he arrived and everything was fine. Rias and her peerage were quite capable on their own, after all. They'd call if they needed help.

As Jotaro pulled back another file with his finger, he noticed one that was labeled with a question mark rather than a name. He raised a brow curiously, picking it up and narrowing his eyes as he flipped it open.

The moment he saw the picture within, Jotaro's cup slipped from his hand.

The picture was old, definitely a couple of years or so. But the face was undisputable. He even had a fang sticking out over his top lip. "What? Why is this kid…" he began muttering before words from an old friend started to echo in the back of his mind. Sweat started to trail down his brow, Jotaro standing from his seat and ignoring the broken porcelain on the ground.

Jotaro immediately opened his phone for another call, tapping Josuke's number and waiting for it with a newfound urgency. He was already moving out the door of his room.

" _... Hello..? Jotaro-san? What-"_

"Josuke, wake up! We've got an emergency. Get your clothes on and wake up Issei and Okuyasu." Jotaro immediately told the tall teen, not bothering to give him a moment to wake up fully. "I'm going to come by and pick you all up in my car. I'll call Rias and the others, but I don't think they'll answer. You can try calling them once you can, as well."

" _W-wait, what are you talking about Jotaro-san?! What's going on?!"_

"We were tricked, Josuke! That kid is here to kill your friends!"

* * *

 **Red Hot Chili Pepper** burst forth from the electric outlet of the meeting room, the Stand cackling in triumph as it floated over to its bizarre looking master. "It looks like it all went according to plan. They fell for it hook, line, and sinker!" The Queen of the Lucifuge daughter chuckled, glancing at his silver haired master with a dark grin. "All it took was a little light show and those morons totally bought it all."

"Very good, my Queen. It seems that you've done well." Myrcella smirked, walking over to her servant and wrapping her arms around his neck. "It looks like our contract killer has infiltrated their home. Now all we have to do is wait."

"You really think he'll be able to kill them all?" Her dark skinned servant, Malia, hummed in question. "I get he's a pretty powerful Stand user, but dealin' with all of them might be pretty difficult."

"If it were a direct fight, I would agree." Myrcella nodded but giggled in dismissal. "But we're not playing chicken. We're playing chess. Infiltrating enemy territory is necessary in this game. Unlike in chess though, our surprise piece will be undetected until it's too late."

"You really think he's gonna get all of 'em?" Saizo questioned this time, legs huddled up against his chest. "I doubt they all were stayin' for the kid."

"I already confirmed who is and isn't with our little infiltrator." The queen spoke again, wrapping an arm around his mistress's waist. "All their Stand users and Issei Hyoudou returned back to their homes. Jotaro Kujo also returned to his hotel room as well."

"All of which are unnecessary to achieve my goal." Myrcella continued, a dark grin spreading across her features as she looked back at the others. "Rias Gremory is the primary target. If we also take out the majority of her peerage, then that's just a plus." She then turned to a corner of the room with a cheeky smile, Elmenhilde sitting there but having remained quiet. "You hear that, Elmy? You don't have to worry about Okuyasu, now."

Elmenhilde blinked after a moment before huffing and turning her head away. "Sh-shut up… It's not like I was concerned to begin with…"

"Talk about your textbook tsundere…" Myrcella's bishop chuckled. The moment the loli vampire fixed him with a glare, he coughed awkwardly and shifted his attention back to Myrcella. "S-so, should we start attacking Jotaro Kujo and Josuke Higashikata then? It might be smart to get rid of them while the Devils are indisposed." Saizo suggested, only for Myrcella to shake her head.

"We'll only be attracting the attention of the Sitri family if we do that." Myrcella explained, releasing her Queen and resting on the table. "If they catch on, they'll be quick to realize that the Gremory girl is missing. Let us be patient and wait to see what our assassin can do for us."

* * *

Rias felt her eyelids slowly peel open, eyes batting tiredly before she sat up. Immediately, she realized that she was in an unfamiliar landscape. For one, she was now in some dark and red hued chapel, having been lying on the floor of the main stage. Looking down at herself, Rias realized that she was now wearing a tattered white wedding dress, widening her eyes in confusion. "Wh-what's going on? Why am I…" She muttered, glancing around the empty hall once again before standing up.

The last memory she had was being in the clubroom. She had laid down in bed for the night, having secured a position close to Raj to make sure that he was comfortable and unafraid of their enemy. It was unlikely that an enemy could have broken in and taken her from the old school building without her notice. There were still strong seals surrounding the building to keep unwanted Devils from entering.

"Is this a dream..?" Rias mused, eyes darting around the room as if to find the answer to her question. Rias had had many dreams before, but none felt so real as this. She had had vivid dreams before, but nothing quite so clear.

"Hello, my darling Rias." A voice sang smugly behind her. It immediately caused her skin to crawl, recognizing it the moment his voice invaded her ears. Slowly turning, Rias couldn't stop a fierce scowl from fixing on her expression.

"Riser." She hissed out, her demonic energy flaring around her at the sight of her formerly betrothed. He was currently dressed in a groom's black suit, chuckling as he watched his Gremory heiress.

"Now now, my love. I'd choose your actions wisely if I were you." Riser said, raising his hand and snapping his fingers. Behind him, a scarlet curtain fell from the back wall of the chapel. Immediately, Rias felt panic and fear wash over her. Hanging on the wall by chains was none other than her pawn, looking bloodied and beaten to near death, his clothes shredded from a devastating fight as far as she could tell.

"Issei!" Rias cried out, stepping forward to try and get to him. Riser immediately cut her off, chuckling darkly as his eyes met hers.

"Do I have your attention now, my love?" Riser asked, Rias biting her bottom lip in fear and her body trembling. What exactly had happened? Why had Riser returned? How did Issei get so damaged without her knowledge? All questions would go unanswered for her as Riser merely stepped forward and stretched out a hand. "I'm sure I do, in fact. So then, why don't we start discussing our marriage plans?"

* * *

Kiba had woken up in a very different area than he was previously resting in. He was no longer in Kuoh, or Japan even. He was now in a forest full of dead trees and snow covering the ground. Each step through the white powder proved difficult, the snow steep and the wind blistering his face. He was forced to cover his face with the school jacket he woke up in, a flaming sword summoned to his hand to combat the cold. It was definitely a help, but the real question in his mind was what exactly was going on. He had attempted to use a magic circle to get back, but it was to no avail.

"Hey, hey~! Looks like we found one of the puppets~!" Kiba heard over the wind, eyes widening in fear as he jumped backward and placed his back against a tree.

"Who's there?!" Kiba demanded, eyes searching the dark sky past the trees for the source. He finally noticed a blur of black hovering above, its body and features shrouded in shadow, but he could see the unmistakable black feathered wings soaring overhead. It was a feminine voice in nature, a sickly sweet giggle escaping the figure as it flew out of his sight.

 _Fallen Angels? What exactly is going on?_ Kiba wondered in agitation, eyes searching his surroundings for an answer. A small gust of wind approaching from behind caused Kiba to click his tongue, rolling forward in the snow as a spear of light shot through the base of the tree. He quickly melted the snow with a torrent of flames from his blade, making enough ground for himself to stand on without worry.

"Oh, he's a fast one!" A male voice cackled this time. As the dead tree started to fall on Yuuto's left, another Fallen Angel shrouded in darkness appeared, cackling in amusement as red eyes stared out at Kiba. "I think the boss will want this one for the experiment."

"What is your purpose, Fallen Angels?" Kiba growled in frustration, preparing to engage a forward fight with his natural enemy. "Are you all so crazed for war that you would continually threaten the Gremory Household?!"

"Gremory household?" The female Fallen Angel hummed in question, hovering just a bit above Kiba but remaining shrouded. "Whatever are you talking about? Our job is to collect the runaway experiment so that the good priest might continue his hard work."

"Didn't he say the experiments weren't showin' good results, though?" The male spoke this time, red eyes looking up at the other shrouded figure. "It'd be a waste to bring him back just to have to kill him. I say we do it here."

Kiba made sure to morph his blade to its holy eraser form, preparing for the worst case scenario. This was looking much like his time against the brother/sister duo, but this time he doubted that Okuyasu would be showing up to save him any time soon. Still, the words of his enemies stirred him from immediately fighting, gripping his blade tighter. "What exactly are you talking about? What experi-"

It hit Kiba like a brick wall. The dead trees. The deathly cold snow. The blistering wind that cut across his face. He paled immediately, this terrain suddenly becoming far too familiar for comfort. His body started to tremble, and his grip on his sword became so tight that his hands might freeze closed together on it.

"Ah, there you are, little Isaiah." The elderly, fatherly sounding voice Kiba heard immediately caused him to pale, eyes widening under his coat wrapped face as he slowly turned his head. Standing there in the snow was a plum old man with a full beard and white priest garbs. His eyes were closed as he gave a falsely warm smile to the blond Devil. "Won't you come back to us? Your friends miss you."

Kiba felt his arms shake with fury, his face falling into a furious frown and eyes narrowed in contempt.

"... Valper… **Galilei~!** "

* * *

Koneko walked through the deep green forest that she had woken up in. Suspiciously, she had yet to run into a single enemy. No Devils, no Fallen Angels, and no Stand users in sight. With her heightened senses, Koneko couldn't pick up any stray smells around her, though she felt that this was not because of the lack of enemies, but because something was blocking the surrounding scents. It made no sense that she would be teleported to some strange place with no warning or awareness, even after falling asleep. While each member of Rias' peerage did indeed fall asleep, they had all kept their guard up, ready to awaken at a moment's notice. It was easy enough to learn such discipline as a Devil.

Yet here Koneko was, all alone and far away from her home in Kuoh, or so she thought. She doubted that she was in the town's surrounding forest, as it was too small to hide any of its familiar scents from the petite Devil. Koneko had no other option but to search for a way out of this forest on her own. So she trekked forward, not sure what other options lay before her.

The closest bit of hope at answers to her whereabouts came from a small clearing at the edge of the forest. Upon seeing this, Koneko decided to sprint, not wanting to waste any more time separated from her master and friends. When she reached the clearing, the petite Devil widened her eyes. Immediately, she felt her heart sink. The first thing her eyes laid upon was a large white mansion. Something particular to note about it was the fact that it was on fire, a fresh flame brewing inside that was filling the sky with smoke. Koneko didn't know how she hadn't smelled the smoke before, but it was invading her nostrils now. Despite this, this wasn't a problem that crossed Koneko's mind at the moment. Something about the mansion stuck out.

"That was… master's mansion…" Koneko muttered aloud. The master she was referring to wasn't Rias, though. This was the master before her, though Koneko couldn't rightly remember his name. Or rather, perhaps she repressed it. After all, this time in her life had been rather hard to face.

Koneko took a single step back, unable to face her former home. It was in flames, the same as the day that she was forced to leave. Despite what logic might tell Koneko of the meaning behind this, she couldn't focus on that aspect. For the first time in years, her emotions spilled forth on her expression. Fear shined in her eyes that had become glossy. Koneko's body was shaky, suddenly feeling weak. She could barely move after seeing that mansion in front of her again. But the moment she looked down, her entire world froze.

Ahead of her, a woman with long black hair stood, with tall black cat ears on top of her head. She wore a black kimono with flower patterns in the design. She had pale skin and long voluptuous legs. The kimono was pulled down, hiding little of her full chest and shoulders. On her feet she wore high soled wood sandals. Koneko couldn't see her face, but knew immediately who it was.

"N-nee-san…" She whispered out, taking another step back before her body gave way, unable to keep supporting Koneko after becoming so weak. The woman seemed to hear Koneko the moment she fell, tilting her head up slightly at the noise. Turning slowly around, Koneko's eyes trembled as she saw her sister's face, her yellow eyes shining with mischief. In her hands, Koneko could see her former master being held by the throat, lifeless and pale.

"Oh, I'm so happy~! Little **Shirone** has finally come back to me~!"

* * *

Akeno had woken to a mountainous area above a large forest. It had a sense of familiarity to it that the raven haired Devil remembered all too well. It was a place of hell for her, one that Akeno wished to escape as quickly as possible. Her attempts to use a magic circle for escape fared no better than any of her comrades, so she decided to walk instead. If Akeno was where she thought she was, she didn't want to drag attention to herself by flying around the area.

"It seems that we were betrayed…" Akeno hummed to herself, her thoughts drifting to the young boy. "But still, there was no way such a child would be able to break through our seals or be able to move us without our notice... " It had been some time since she started walking through the mountain path, but had yet to encounter an enemy. Something she was grateful for, as an enemy in this territory would no doubt be…

Akeno shook her head, wanting to push aside any of those thoughts. They had not been her family for some years. If push came to shove and she did encounter them again, Akeno decided she would do whatever it took to survive. She wouldn't outright kill them, but the raven haired Devil also wouldn't let them kill her. Akeno had to get back to Rias and the others, no matter what.

Akeno's attention was drawn up when she felt the presence of light energy, immediately spreading her Devil wings and flying above the blast. "It seems I was unable to avoid detection, then?" she sighed, eyes narrowing as they leveled at the source. Moving out from the rocks, over a dozen of shinto priest's came out of hiding. One at the front who was much older than the others, glared at Akeno fiercely.

"Great-uncle." Akeno muttered with disdain, her hands sparking electricity just at the sight of him.

"We told you to never come back to our territory and to always stay by that Devil's side." Her uncle huffed, holding up a gold ringed staff. "With our agreement broken, we have full authority to exterminate you."

"I'm only trying to leave this wretched land. I am not trying to cause trouble." Akeno replied, her eyes becoming jaded and unfeeling as she talked. If this could be settled without violence, Akeno would prefer so. She might not have cared for them anymore, but they used to be people who were important to her mother at least.

Her great-uncle could only laugh in dismissal, shaking his head. "You don't seem to get it, do you? I've been waiting for your return to our land for ages. The thought of you living on after what happened to my niece because of you and your disgusting father… it's been a stain on our family ever since!"

Akeno's eyes widened in fury, electricity crackling with life around her as her aura flared. "You… you think you're the ones that suffered from her loss?" Akeno muttered, holding a hand up toward her former family and grit her teeth. "You have no **idea** what I suffered that day! The pain I felt! She was my **mother**!"

"Silence, you abomination! While your mother might have been loved, she was still guilty of bringing such a terrible monster into this world! One that the Himejima family will set right!" Her great uncle growled as he and the rest of the exorcists cast powerful spells of light. Akeno didn't run, this time returning the favor with her own volley of lightning.

Through each of these dreamscapes, a small shrouded figure observed the many different struggles being suffered by each Devil. Its voice was young but eerily menacing, a mess of cackling ringing through the air from it. Rias, Koneko, Kiba, and Akeno were fairly distracted by the enemies before them, but they couldn't stop a small shiver of fear from crawling up their backs when they heard a single term:

" _ **Lali-ho~!"**_

 **To be continued…**

 **Phew, finally done! It wasn't that this chapter was too difficult, but I was struggling with how I wanted to open with this mini-arc. And the length of the chapter didn't meet my normal standards either. Still, I'm just glad I was able to get it out. Hopefully this mini-arc will turn out like I want and everyone might enjoy it.**

 **So yeah, as you can see, I've decided to bring in an old enemy that Jotaro was only vaguely aware of thanks to his old friend. Mannish Boy seemed like he would be the most fun to use against the ORC considering the scale of his powers. And since he was only a baby the first time he fought against SDC, hehe, let's just say he's had a lot of time to make some vast improvements on his abilities.**

 **Anyways, Thank you for reading, I hope you all enjoyed and are looking forward to where this mini-arc will go! Please leave a review, a follow and a favorite :)**


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I own neither JoJo's Bizarre Adventure or Highschool DxD.**

Chapter 22

Issei, Asia, and Okuyasu were stuffed into the back of Jotaro's rented car while Josuke sat in the front, holding onto his seat as the veteran Stand user sped through the streets. After hearing the sense of urgency and his warning from Jotaro, Josuke was quick to wake his friends in the middle of the night, forced to sneak out without their parents knowledge. Only Okuyasu had no worries when it came to that.

"S-so what's the big emergency, Jotaro-san?! You said that someone was out to kill president and the others?!" Issei quickly questioned, leaning in the middle between Josuke and Jotaro.

"Not anyone. That kid." Jotaro quickly elaborated, glancing sideways at the brunette. "I hadn't recognized him before because he was just a baby when I met him. Who would have thought that little shit would still be out trying to kill people?"

"W-wait, a **baby** tried to kill you?!" Okuyasu blanched in shock. Even among the revelation of the existence of Devils and Angels, this was a rather profound statement.

"That's right. I don't remember everything that happened because of his Stand, but a friend who saved us from him told me about it later." Jotaro explained to the teens, making a quick turn on a street that caused those in the back seat to whip to the left side, Josuke grinding his teeth as he gripped the passenger seat. "He attacks people in their dreams. Apparently, doing so makes it so that the victim's soul is vulnerable to him. If a Stand user doesn't summon his Stand before going to sleep, he's not able to use it in the dream."

"A-a Stand that attacks someone through their dream?" Asia muttered, dread filling her at the prospect. "Th-that sounds terrifying."

"From what Kakyoin told me, it was. He has full control of that entire world and is only limited by his imagination." Jotaro explained before turning a serious glance back to the others. "And think of it like this: that was back when he was a baby. If he was that powerful when he was so young, how much do you think his Stand has grown since then?"

The four felt their breath hitch, unable to, or rather not wanting to, answer that question. Stands developed with the user's mind, growing as the person grows mentally. If a baby was intelligent enough that it could not only manifest a Stand but also kill with it? Thinking of him now being eleven years older would make him all the more terrifying.

"D-damn it! I can't believe that little bastard tricked us like that!" Issei snarled, slamming his fist into the car door. "If only Asia and I could teleport a large group!"

"It's okay. I already called Sona Sitri. She said she would go there ahead of us to make sure that everything was okay for now." Jotaro informed as he pulled into the school grounds, not bothering to pay any mind to the parameters and driving through the gates to head straight for the old school building. The five soon arrived at their destination, not wasting any time and jumping out of the car. Issei dashed ahead of the others, the rest following close behind.

"President!" Issei proclaimed, swinging the club room door open. He paused when he saw Sona standing inside with Tsubaki close by, the bespectacled Devil turning to him defensively. When she realized it was Issei, she lowered her guard and sighed.

"Thank goodness, you've all arrived. Come, quickly. You need to see them." Sona bid, motioning for the others to come in. Issei jogged up to her, opening his mouth to ask where they were but quickly got his answer. On the floor laid out on their backs were Rias, Akeno, Koneko, and Yuuto. They were all fast asleep, but each of them were running a cold sweat. Their expressions were strained, each of their eyes closed but seemingly struggling in some way. Koneko was whimpering in fear even, tears threatening at the edge of her eyes. Josuke felt his eyes widen at this, he and Issei quickly at the side of their friends.

"Pr-president! Wake up now, it's okay! We're here!" Issei spoke loudly, hoping the volume of his voice might wake her up as he lightly shook her shoulders.

"K-Koneko-chan…" Josuke muttered, gently reaching out and gripping her shoulder. _I've never seen her look so vulnerable… so afraid._ Glancing at the others, Akeno seemed quite disturbed as well, but rage was evident in her features. She and Yuuto were similar in their features, the blond knight looking wholly angered. Rias didn't seem like the others, seeming more on edge but neither angered or afraid.

"Don't bother with trying to wake them. We've tried multiple times." Sona explained, pulling attention back to her. "Right now, my peerage is searching the old school building for the Stand user. We haven't heard anything back, yet."

"A-are they under a spell? Why won't they wake up?" Asia asked fearfully, gripping her skirt anxiously as she kneeled next to Issei.

"No. We've tried several awakening spells and similar such magic. It would seem that it's the Stand's power that is keeping them from waking." Sona sighed in frustration, biting her thumb. "I had heard the story about this Mannish Boy, as he was labeled, but I would not have thought he was still a threat."

"This also confirms that his Stand's grown stronger over time." Jotaro pointed out, narrowing his eyes. "When he was a baby, people could still be woken up just as easily as any other sleeper. Now, it looks like he's able to keep his victims from escaping his dream world."

"That little piece of shit! I don't care if he's a brat now, I'm pissed!" Okuyasu huffed, slamming his fist against the wall. "When we find him, I'm gonna deck him so hard!"

"One thing that might be a comfort to know is that dream attacks are not so rare in the world of Devils and Angels." Sona declared, the others turning back to her in surprise. "There have been several cases of attempted murder through the dreamscape. It's an easy way to catch the victim unprepared, but it's not hard for us to counter."

"W-wait, so you guys are actually prepared to fight a battle in a dream?" Josuke asked in shock, blinking up at Sona who nodded in confirmation.

"Due to the possibility of attack, most royal families train their children against such. Unlike Stand users, we are able to use our powers in the dream world. We do not possess souls like humans do, and our powers are part of our being. We are technically always guarded in that sense." Sona went on to explain, her words bringing some relief to the group.

"S-so it's still possible for Rias and them to make it outta there on their own?" Okuyasu asked hopefully, only for Sona to frown.

"I am not fully aware of what Mannish Boy's Stand allows him to do in the dream world. Normally, for an attack like this on a Devil, it would be quick. The victim has more control over a dream than the attacker usually, and can change the environment to their advantage. It's the first of the basics to learn when countering an attack in a dream." Sona elaborated, glancing at Rias and the rest. "Because of that, such fights do not last long. Either the attacker retreats or is swiftly defeated."

"From what Kakyoin told me, **Death 13** has complete control of the dream world." Jotaro suddenly interrupted, causing Sona to widen her eyes. "I don't think it'll be as simple as it would be if this were a normal dream battle for Devils. Not to mention the growth he's most likely gone through has probably enhanced that in some way."

"That… is troubling." Sona muttered in fear, holding her fingers up to her ear. "Everyone, is there any progress in finding the Stand user?!" Waiting a few moments, Sona cursed out in frustration, biting her lip. "How can he elude us like this? It's unbelievable. As a Stand user, his range should be incredibly limited."

"Even if he's gone up tremendously in power, you're right." Jotaro agreed, narrowing his eyes in thought. "One thing is for sure, he's still somewhere in this building."

"Then let's hurry up and find his ass!" Okuyasu blurted out furiously, gripping his hand until his knuckles were white. "I'm rarin' to find him and knock him for this shit!"

"Same here." Josuke muttered, his eyes glaring as he watched all of his friends struggle in some way. "The sooner we find him, the better. Who knows what that sick bastard is making them suffer through right now."

"Right! Let's hurry up and-"

"Wait." Sona suddenly spoke, causing Issei to pause. "As things are, we've already got several hands searching around. Instead, I would like to offer another suggestion. We could send Issei Hyoudou and Josuke Higashikata into the dream world as well." She suggested, causing the others to widen their eyes.

"B-but then they'll only just get caught like everyone else, won't they?!" Asia exclaimed, the idea of sending both teens to certain danger making her more fearful.

"Yeah, and once we find the user it'll be over in an instant! I'll make that shit eat dirt!" Okuyasu spat, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"That might be true, but how long until we find him? As things are now, it doesn't look like Rias and the others are holding out very well." Glancing down at the four, they saw each still struggling, straining harder by the second. Koneko's whimpering grew louder and suddenly, a long four lined scratch started to form across her bicep, immediately making Josuke gasp.

" **Crazy Diamond**!" He cried out, summoning his Stand forward and placing its hand on her arm. The wound healed almost instantly, and a bit of relief could be seen in Koneko's face. But still, she continued to sob softly, tears still streaming down her cheeks. "Koneko-chan…"

"She's right. Sending in some help might be the best move." Jotaro decided, glancing at Josuke then Issei. "You two should go into the dream world while Okuyasu and I will try finding him out here. It might not be much, but the best we can do now is help find the user himself."

"We won't be sending you in unprepared." Sona added, turning to them both now. "I'm guessing when I say this, but it's likely that he has kept them divided in the dreamscape. Tsubaki and I will be providing you with a sort of protective enchantment. It'll keep him from finding you right away once you've entered. If he's condensed it all into one area it may not matter, but if he has divided them then it will work to your advantage."

"Wh-what can I do to help?!" Asia spoke up, looking desperate to be of use in this situation.

"You will remain here with us and continue to heal the others should they be damaged. No doubt they are facing terrible danger. We might be able to keep them from real harm with you around." Sona suggested, Asia giving a heavy nod in acceptance.

"If we can help them get out of the dream, I'm all for it." Issei agreed this time.

"Same. If we're gonna do this we're going to have to move quick." Josuke pointed out, concern rising by the second as he watched Koneko struggle.

"Okuyasu, let's go. We'll leave this to them." Jotaro said, quickly making for the door to leave. "Remember, Josuke. Summon your Stand before you fall asleep." he advised before exiting out. Okuyasu hesitated for a moment, glancing back at the others and wanting to help.

"D-damn it, good luck everyone! We'll find that bastard!" Okuyasu called out, rushing toward the door after Jotaro. Nodding in agreement, Josuke and Issei turned back to Sona.

"So what do we have to do?" Josuke asked first. Sona motioned them forward next to the others, a magic circle appearing in her hand.

"We're going to have to put you both to sleep. To keep you hidden from his initial gaze, Tsubaki and I will stay connected to your minds as you sleep. Through this, we'll be able to place you in the dreamscape of who you think might need it most." Sona explained, her queen walking closely behind and nodding.

Josuke and Issei glanced down at their friends. Having to choose was a terrible thought, but they had to do so by who seemed the most in need. As it was, Rias and Akeno seemed to be faring the best on their own. Kiba was shivering and sweating profusely, and Koneko didn't need any further indicator. She was definitely in the most trouble among them.

"I hate having to pick, but I'll go to Koneko-chan's mind first. Whatever she's seeing, it's hurting her pretty bad." Josuke declared, running a hand across the white haired Devil's head. "Who are you going after, Issei?"

"I-I want to go to president first, but…" Issei glanced at Kiba and bit his lips. "But prince looks like he's having way more trouble… president is really strong, and I want to believe that she'll be able to hang on without me for now."

"Same with Akeno. She looks angry, but she doesn't look like she's in immediate danger." Josuke pointed out, reaching out and touching Akeno's shoulder. "Everyone has a limit, but they're definitely both the strongest here. I'll choose to believe in them."

"I'm sorry I cannot immediately help them, either. But if it'll make you both feel better, we'll be able to know once you've both rescued one of them. We'll be sure to connect you to the others soon after." Sona informed them, helping to ease their frustration over who to go after first.

"That's a bit of a relief. Either way, though, we need to hurry. I can't stand to see them all like this much longer. Let's not waste any more time." Issei exclaimed, not waiting any longer to lie down on one end by Rias. "I'm ready."

"Same." Josuke announced, summoning his Stand and lying down on the opposite end next to Koneko. _Hang on, everyone. We're coming._

"Good luck, you two…" Asia mumbled out, unable to hide just how afraid she was.

Sona and Tsubaki moved forward, placing their hands over Josuke and Issei's heads respectively. A magic circle appeared, sending a relaxing sensation through their bodies. It wasn't long before they both let sleep take them. Moving their free hands, Sona hovered a hand above Koneko, Tsubaki doing the same with Kiba and linking their minds to them. "They should both be in now. The rest will be up to them to try and keep the others safe. Be ready to heal in case there is a need for it, Asia-san."

"Y-yes ma'am!" Asia agreed, quickly focusing her magic and preparing to provide what assistance she could. Somewhere, hidden well within the old school building, Mannish Boy clicked his tongue in annoyance, knowing full well what had transpired in the main club room.

"Those idiots think they can get me… they'll never find me. I'll kill every single one of them and get out like nothing," he giggled maniacally, his mind putting **Death 13** on guard within the dreamscape.

* * *

Koneko was desperate. She ran with all of her might to avoid her sister. It had been a long time since she had seen her, and had hoped it would be an eternity before being forced to see her again. Just the mere sight of Kuroka caused Koneko to feel the tears burst forward without her permission. She had so many emotions pent up, so much hate, grief, anger. All that spilled forth like a river the moment she saw the burning mansion and her older sister. She had dropped her guard because of it, and Kuroka had closed the distance, slicing at her arm with her claws.

 _She's not real. She's not real!_ Koneko told herself repeatedly. She had easily guessed that this was all only a dream. But it felt so real. Real enough that she could forget in a moment's notice that this was all nothing but a dream.

"Little Shirone~! Don't run!" Kuroka's voice was a sickly reminder that she had to be on guard. "I want to catch up! It's been so long!"

 _She's not real._

"Found you~!" Koneko felt horror fill her as she glanced up, seeing the form of her raven haired sister hovering above her. Turning to lash out she threw a punch, only to find her body hesitating for a single second. That second was enough for the dream of her sister to descend upon her.

 _She's not real!_

"Come on, little Shirone! Let's play!" Kuroka giggled mischievously, reaching down and digging her claws into Koneko's arms. The petite Devil let out a cry of pain, her body dropping to the ground as she felt her sister's weight on top of her. "Come on, just like when we were kids! We would wrestle all the time, remember?"

 _She's not real!_

Koneko summoned what little courage she had left within her and brought up her legs, kicking Kuroka off of her body. The elder sibling only laughed evilly, floating through the air before vanishing behind one of the trees surrounding the area. Koneko flipped on her stomach and pushed off the ground, biting her lip as she felt her arm wound seep with blood. She started to run forward, holding her arm in pain. Knowing the rules of dream attacks, this wound was very real. Which also meant her life was very much in danger.

But the moment she checked her arm again for damage, she blinked when she realized it was gone. It was almost as if it had never happened, the petite Devil tracing her fingers over where the wound once sat. She had felt this feeling before. It was familiar. It wasn't the same as the times that Asia healed her. This could have only been one person.

"Josuke…" She muttered, a bit of hope returning to her as she gave a small smile. It would seem that their friends had come for them. No doubt they were attempting to find some way to wake them. If she was still asleep, then it was likely that they were incapable of waking from the outside. "They'll come…" She muttered to herself, glancing around cautiously. "J-just have to survive…"

Koneko felt something fasten around her ankle, widening her eyes as she looked at the ground. A root from a tree she stood by locked her ankle in a death grip, causing her to groan in pain. Not wasting any time, Koneko spun around and smashed the tree with a punch, causing it to buckle from the force. Spreading her Devil wings, Koneko attempted to fly up, only to feel fear rise up once again.

"No running, little Shirone~!" Kuroka giggled as she burst out from the forest, tackling Koneko from the air and spearing them both into the ground. Koneko let out a grunt of pain, the air escaping her in an instant. Peering up at her sister with one eye, Kuroka's eyes lit up with energy. Reaching down, Kuroka attempted to bite into Koneko, the white haired Devil narrowly dodging a bite to the neck, only for her shoulder to be latched onto. With a piercing cry, Koneko felt agonizing pain as the dream of her elder sister ripped a chunk out of her upper shoulder, the meat hanging from her sister's mouth as blood dripped down her chin and splattered across Koneko's face.

"Come on, little Shirone, that was just a love nibble! I'm going to give you a few of those." Kuroka said, her mouth still full of raw chomped meat from her sister. She spit it out to the side, giggling maniacally as she did so. Koneko whimpered in pain, finding her strength escaping her. The fear was too strong. She only ever wanted to stay away from her sister. Now she was seeing her in a dream. And Kuroka was killing her.

"What shall I take a bit of this time, neh?" Kuroka hummed, glancing around at Koneko's body and licking blood off of her lips. Before she could bite again, a green energy started to wrap around Koneko's shoulder, the petite Devil widening her eyes as she recognized the energy, despite the different feeling than before.

"Asia-san…" Koneko mumbled, her shoulder's pain starting to fade as she healed.

"No fun~! It seems like your friends are trying to save you!" Kuroka whined before an evil glint in her eye shined. "But I wonder how fast they can heal you if I keep taking bits, nya?" She asked as she licked her sharpened fangs and leaned in for another bite.

"No!" Koneko cried out, gripping her hands and swinging with all of her might. She punched right through the fake of her sister, the imitation buckling over from the force, only for Koneko to follow up with another hit and knocking her off of her. The second blow seemed to completely shatter Kuroka's neck, her head spinning around from the force.

The white haired Devil panted for breath, trying to calm her nerves as she shuffled up to a sitting position. Looking at her shoulder, she breathed out in relief to see that it was now fully healed, thankful for Asia's power. Looking back over at the dreamed up version of her sister, she suddenly felt regret and grief, her body shaking in fear.

"N-no… I didn't…" Koneko muttered as tears started to threaten in her eyes again. "I never wanted to…" Shaking her head, Koneko had to remind herself again that this thing was not her sister, biting her bottom lip in frustration. _She's not real… She's not real…_

"Now…" Koneko's eyes widened as she looked back up at the fake, dread filling her again as she watched her sister's neck start to turn from its 180 spin. A sickening crack filled the air as she did so, the bones in her neck twisting as she reset her head. "... that wasn't very nice of you, Shirone…"

Koneko couldn't help it. Fear overwhelmed her again, forcing her to scramble to her feet before dashing through the forest. She couldn't keep facing her sister like this. Fake or not, it terrified her. All she wanted to do was escape this nightmare.

Before she could go any further, the petite Devil was cut short when she felt a chain wrap around her ankle. She cried out in pain as she fell forward, body slamming against the ground. Koneko attempted to pull free, but her strength didn't seem to work. When she looked at the chain, she saw runes across the chain, soon realizing that it was very familiar to her. "Th-these were…" Another chain shot out and wrapped around her wrist, pulling her arm and locking her painfully into place. "Th-these chains are…" She muttered, dread filling her once again.

"Her master was murdered by her sister." Koneko felt dread overcome her again, eyes shifting toward the voice to see dark figures from the forest. Red eyes shined out from the forest, pulling on the chains cruelly and causing Koneko to cry out in pain.

"She should pay for the crime in her place." Another chuckled darkly, the opposite chain pulling harder.

"N-no… wa-" Koneko choked out until a chain wrapped around her neck, strangling her. Air escaped her, and she choked trying to inhale air.

"She can either die or become a slave. It'd be a waste to lose such a precious play thing, I suppose…" Another shadow, the one choking her neck, chuckled as it pulled on the chain more painfully. Saliva started to pour out of Koneko's mouth, the color soon leaving her face.

"She has the potential for Senjutsu as well… eliminating her would be the best option."

They might be unrecognizable to most, but they were familiar to her. It was the way she had seen the Devils in charge of her judgement the day she was found. The ones who had instilled her with fear. Enough fear that she had completely shut down for a time. They had treated her like an animal. They wanted her life for the loss of her master. She had felt no less terror that day than any before or after. And now she was experiencing it all over again, but to an even greater extreme.

Koneko lost the will to fight back. She just wanted it to be over. To escape the nightmare that she was afflicted with from that day. She had buried it deep within her mind. But this dream had dug it out and thrown it at her at full force. She wanted it to end. No matter how it was done. She was ready to let her body go loose and let herself be torn apart, only if it meant-

" **Crazy Diamond**!"

 **DORARARARARARARARARARARARARARA~!**

Suddenly, the chain around Koneko's neck dropped, causing her to buckle forward as she desperately coughed for air. The chains around her arms started to loosen as well, the shadows most likely turning their attention to the interference. Glancing back, Koneko couldn't stop the tears from spilling forth again, only able to choke out a single word. "J-J-Jojo…"

"Koneko-chan!" Josuke cried out, his Stand in front of him with its arm swiftly planted through the center of the shadow. With a quick rush of its fists, it turned the shadow into nothing, Josuke quickly running toward Koneko. From both sides, the shadows from before launched forward, turning into indiscernible monsters. Josuke merely narrowed his eyes as he reached out with **Crazy Diamond** and grabbed the chain from before on the ground, lashing out with them, striking both like a whip, and destroying them. With no enemies evident around them, Josuke didn't wait another second, dashing forward again and sliding on the ground next to Koneko. He quickly repaired whatever damage might have been done to her, carefully reaching out to grab her shoulder. "K-Koneko-chan, are you alright? Things were looking pretty-"

" **Stay away**!" Koneko cried out, slapping his hand away and huddling up against her knees on the ground. Josuke blinked in shock, but allowed her some space, not wanting to make her freak out.

"K-Koneko-chan, it's okay… you're safe now…" Josuke assured, holding his hands up to try and show her that he was here to help. "Don't worry, everything's going to be okay…"

"N-no… I…" Koneko whimpered out, heaving for air. It wasn't because of her previous strangling, but because of the weeping. She couldn't hold it back any more. All of the fear was overwhelming her, all the anxiety and despair she felt. "I… I gave up… I couldn't take it…" She whimpered out, body trembling from the trauma. "I-I just wanted it to stop…"

"Koneko-chan…"

"I was such a coward… I-"

Josuke broke the barrier between them, quickly hugging Koneko tightly against his chest. The petite Devil stiffened at first, but found the warmth comforting, even if only a little, and didn't fight back. "Koneko-chan, it's okay to be afraid… whatever went on with you before… I'm sure it was terrible…" He rubbed her back in comfort, allowing Koneko's mess of tears and saliva to stain his shirt. "I won't pretend I know what happened or how you feel… but… know that it's okay to be afraid… and that if you ever feel afraid… you can come to me. I'll beat the shit out of whatever it is for you… okay?"

Koneko was quiet, her weeping still muffled by his shirt as she gripped his sleeve. Before, she felt alone. Even when Rias had saved her, it was almost too late. The trauma had set in. But Josuke, he had been there when she most needed it. He had become a pillar for her to lean on. Koneko felt safe in his arms. Felt that with him around, she didn't have to be afraid. As long as Josuke was there, she didn't have to be-

"But sometimes… I won't be there, Koneko-chan…"

The white haired Devil felt her body stiffen again, eyes opening wide from his response. "Sometimes… I may not be able to show up and save the day, even though I'll do my damnedest to be there when I can…" Josuke admitted, though his arms only tightened around Koneko, almost as if he was afraid of such an outcome himself. "So I want you to find the courage in yourself… I want you to realize how strong you are and know that you can beat this kinda shit down without me. Because I know how strong you are. I know you could take on twenty of those dumb shadows like nothing."

"B-but…" Koneko muttered out, Josuke pulling back somewhat to look down at the petite Devil. The vulnerability in her puffy red eyes was heavy, the tears still staining her cheeks. "B-but I-I was too scared… so scared that I…"

"Things may seem too scary to face sometimes… and they'll even make us hesitate… but you've got to act in spite of all that…" Josuke explained, gripping her shoulders gently as he spoke. "Courage isn't fighting against something that seems scary to others… it's fighting when you're afraid. You don't need me to have courage, Koneko-chan. You're strong whether I'm here or not. You just have to remember that. Okay? I know it, Rias knows it and so does everyone else. You just have to realize it for yourself."

Koneko didn't want to believe his words. She wanted to depend on him. She felt safe in Josuke's arms. Like he could shield her from all of her troubles. But he was right. If he wasn't there, who was to be brave for her? She didn't want to be alone. She wanted to put her courage in someone else.

"Koneko-chan, I don't want you to think I'm saying not to rely on me." Josuke reassured, bringing her thoughts back to him. "I'll help you out whenever you need it. But I don't want you to think that you need me to be strong. I believe in you and want to rely on you in the future, too. Someday, I might need you to save me."

Koneko was hesitant to answer, sniffling a bit as she rubbed her arm. It was still frightening to think that she might have to fight alone, even in situations like this. She didn't want to face her fears. It was why she had buried them so deep within her mind. It was too terrifying to think about.

"That might need to be soon nya~!" Josuke and Koneko widened their eyes as they heard that voice, the tall teen turning his back to Koneko and shielding her. He summoned his Stand forward, hoping to intercept the enemy before she could take him down. Behind him, Josuke could feel Koneko trembling again, casting a sideways glance back at her. _Shit, whoever that asshole is using against her is terrifying Koneko-chan. Who could-_

"Surprise~!" Josuke snapped his head to the right, watching as a figure barreled straight into him. Josuke had dropped his guard for a single moment and it had cost him, now landing on the ground with a thud and Kuroka on top of him. It was strange to him that unlike the shadows from before, there was great detail put into this figment instead, but guessed it had something to do with Koneko. He had missed her earlier problem, and was unaware of this threat still in wait.

"This is my world, nya~! Don't think you can just so easily go around and steal away my kills~!" The girl giggled, cracking her fingers in her hand and going down for a slice. Josuke summoned his Stand forth and grabbed her wrist easily, **Crazy Diamond** cocking the other arm back for a punch.

 **DOR-**

It was cut short when Josuke felt something grip his arm, only to look down and see that it wasn't his arm that was being gripped. He widened his eyes when he realized that **Crazy Diamond** itself was being cut short, a tree root from the ground having caught its arm first.

"Wh-what the hell?! How did it stop my Stand?! It should have phased through!" Josuke bit his bottom lip in shock, only for Kuroka to give a sickening laugh as her eyes started to morph to something maniac.

"Dreams are just the soul unguarded! Even if you bring your Stand here, it's still part of your soul! Which means it can easily be touched and hurt here!" Kuroka laughed darkly, another vine wrapping around the opposite arm of Josuke's Stand and holding it back. "You might be able to break free, but I won't give you the chance! I'll kill you then the cowardly little kitten over there~!" Kuroka laughed, teeth baring as she prepared for a swipe. Josuke swallowed as he raised his arms to block, willing **Crazy Diamond** to break free but saw it was still struggling at first. _Shit, it's not going to-_

"Get…" Kuroka paused as she glanced back, only to see Koneko standing there with furious tears pouring down her cheeks. Before the imitation could respond, Koneko threw a powerful punch into its face, one that caused a wave of wind to erupt from the blow. "... **away from him**!" She roared, sending the fake of her sister sailing across the tree line. Panting for breath, the fear was now gone from Koneko's expression, only anger remained. Josuke scrambled to his feet, glancing further down the way at where the imitation was launched.

"D-damn… thanks, Koneko-chan…" Josuke muttered, no less amazed by her sudden tenacity. Koneko didn't answer immediately, narrowing her eyes as the imitation struggled to pick itself up, its bones broken in several places across her body.

"H-how could you d-do that to your older sister, Shirone...?" The imitation asked, her question causing Josuke to raise a brow. _Older sister?_

"You're not my sister. You can't scare me with that act anymore." Koneko huffed out, gripping her fist to keep fighting. The imitation only laughed a bit more before it finally collapsed on the ground, its body melting into a mess. When it seemed that the threat had passed, the two relaxed somewhat, though they were sure to keep their guard up in case anything else were to come out.

"That was pretty rough. Thanks again for the save, Kone-" Josuke felt his lungs getting the air squeezed from them, surprised when he realized that Koneko was now hugging him tightly around the gut.

"I'm sorry…" Koneko muttered into his stomach before looking up, remorse covering her expression. "I… shouldn't put everything on you… I was so scared that I couldn't move at first." Koneko admitted, gripping her fingers on his jacket. "But when she started to hurt you, I…" She felt red dust her cheeks, embarrassment taking over before she looked to the side. "... I want you to rely on me, too."

Josuke raised a brow at this before giving a kind smile, reaching down and rubbing the top of her head. "I already do." Josuke reassured. Koneko smiled for a moment before pouting, reaching up and knocking his hand away from his head. "Wh-what?"

"I told you. I'm not Asia…" Koneko grumbled, hiding her face in his chest again as she felt her cheeks heat up. Josuke rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, unsure how to respond.

" _Josuke-san, can you hear me?"_ A voice echoed through the world around them, the two recognizing it as Sona Sitri.

"Sona-senpai! Can you hear me?"

" _Yes. It took some time, but I was able to create a deeper link between our minds to communicate. Koneko-chan has stopped convulsing, is everything okay?"_

"Yeah, we're both good. Things got pretty rough but we made it out. Can you open us up a path to whoever else needs help now?"

" _That's why I wanted to get a hold of you urgently. Akeno-san has been struggling for some time now, but it seems that she's starting to have trouble. I'll open a path to her for you now."_

"Thanks, Sona-sempai. We'll get moving." Josuke tilted his head down to Koneko, eyes furrowed seriously. "Let's get going. We're going to go and help Akeno-chan. And once we get out of this dreamscape, we're going to find that kid on the outside and make him pay."

Koneko nodded, reluctantly but quickly letting go of Josuke's waist and turning to walk forward. "Are you sure you can punish a kid, though?" She asked curiously. With everything she just went through, Koneko could honestly not care less. Josuke, on the other hand, wasn't attacked so personally.

Josuke hesitated for a moment before turning to the petite Devil, surprising Koneko with the burning black flames in his eyes. "One thing I hate above **anything** is someone who attacks another emotionally like he did to you. I don't care if he's a kid, anymore. I'm going to turn that brat into a goddamn **rock** if I get the chance."

* * *

Kiba had been fighting for some time, now. He hadn't started to wear down, though, and he guessed that it was thanks to Asia. He hadn't been fighting for long, but Yuuto had taken his fair share of damage at this point. The shadows of the Fallen Angels were strong and proving painful to deal with. But he had to admit, it was likely his fault he'd been injured so much. After seeing Gallilei, Kiba had gone into a rage. He had become careless, charging forward at Valper with all of his fury and anger behind his blade. The shadows of Fallen Angels had easily taken advantage of this.

"Ah, what a shame. And here I thought that your potential for the project might have gone up over time." Gallilei sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. "Oh well, I'm sure we can-"

" **Shut up**!" Kiba roared, dashing forward again and flexing his demonic energy. At this point, it almost didn't matter to him if he died. He just wanted to kill Valper Galilei. It was a contender for one of his main goals in life to achieve, and it felt like it was close in hand.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kiba caught sight of the ever illusive Fallen Angels, turning to block a spear of light that attempted to pierce through his stomach. He deflected it with his Holy Eraser, only for another spear to blow through his right shoulder from the opposite side.

" **Gargh!** " Kiba cried out, falling to his knees. It seemed that his luck was rather bad when it came to running into Fallen Angels. They might have only been figments of this dreamscape, but their attacks felt just as painful as the real deal. Thankfully, he soon felt Asia's healing aura surrounding him again, his hand gripping on his sword again as he prepared for another charge.

"Your friend on the outside is proving a bit of an annoyance. You likely would have died by now had it not been for her interference." Valper hummed in thought before chuckling darkly. "Though I will admit, watching you charge so blindly at me is amusing on its own."

"Y-you… bastard…" Kiba muttered, watching as the wound started to disappear. The false Fallen Angels charged at him, light spears in hand. Acting quick, Kiba flipped backward, avoiding a direct impalement from them both. He acted quickly, dashing deeper into the forest and concealing himself behind another tree. The snow's cold bit at him, even causing him to shiver, but he forced his body to remain quiet.

 _They're not real. None of this is real._ Kiba was forced to remind himself. He was being an idiot, he had to acknowledge that fact. This Valper Galilei was only a fake. Killing it would solve nothing. But just looking at the man standing there, mocking him as he fought, Kiba had lost all sense of logic just from that alone. Whoever was behind this attack either knew him well or was able to pull forth the greatest fears and trauma of his victims. Doubting the amount of information a single person could gather based on personal fears, Kiba guessed that it was likely the second. Even so, this deception was beyond clever. He imagined that it was incurred upon the others within the old school building. _I need to clear my head. If the others are in trouble, then-_

"Come out, Isaiah. There's no use in trying to hide from us. You're only delaying the inevitable."

Just hearing that man's voice aggravated Kiba to no end. Perhaps if he just cut the copy down, it would at least eliminate that one distraction left for him. _No!_ Kiba quickly dismissed, grinding his teeth in frustration. _I'm getting too caught up in my hate. I've got to make a better plan…_

Knowing from experience that his hiding spot wouldn't last long, Kiba dashed through the forest again. He was quiet on his feet, even in this snow. Though Kiba had his doubts about how much good that would do him in this dreamscape. Still, it was better than setting off alarm bells for the enemy to come and find him, at least.

"Speed can only do you so much here!" One of the shadows cackled as it flew overhead, launching the faux spear of light at Kiba. Kicking off the ground, the blond knight dodged around the attack easily, this time jumping up to the trees and using them as springboards. Bouncing from tree to tree, Kiba was able to close the distance between him and the shadow. He wouldn't let himself get taken out like what happened with the siblings, he was going to eliminate one of the shadows first. Coming down with a powerful slash, he cut through the imitation Fallen Angel, its form dissolving into nothing from the blow.

"One down…" Kiba muttered, spreading his Devil wings and hovering above the ground and searching around for the other. "If this is all you have, then you should give up! I won't fall for the same trick again!"

"Oh, Isaiah. You are such a fool." He heard Valper's voice echo through the forest. Kiba could only bite his bottom lip, keeping his anger in check as he let the fake speak. "You think eliminating just one of the shadows is enough? You will see exactly what kind of power that **Death 13** has."

The branches suddenly started to shake around Kiba, the blond knight widening his eyes in shock as they started to morph and reach out to him. Acting quick, Kiba slashed the branches to pieces, grinding his teeth as he flew forward. "Even the environment is under his control… this truly is a dangerous Stand…" Kiba muttered. He had made several mental attempts to shift the environment to his advantage, but seeing this now he realized just how powerful **Death 13's** control over the dreamscape was.

"What an insane Stand. To have so much environmental control…" Kiba cursed, attempting to fly through the forest to gain some distance between him and the surrounding trees. This quickly failed as there were far too many surrounding him, the branches shooting out like stakes and stabbing through his wings and arms. Kiba let out a cry as he felt the branches start to twist in his wound, most likely trying to lock him into place and break his bones. While he felt Asia's healing aura surround him, the branches remained and continued to twist between his bones.

"Now, you may die. No reason to drag on such a pitiful experiment with a failure of a subject." Valper chuckled as the shadow of a Fallen Angel flew into the air, a faux spear of light forming in its hands. Kiba felt his eyes widen in fear and pain, unable to struggle as it prepared to impale him directly with a toss.

"Go straight to hell!"

Kiba widened his eyes as a familiar brunette pawn flew up from the forest, Issei's gauntlet shining with power.

 **Boost!** With a powerful right hook, Issei punched right through the shadow, dispersing it into thin air before quickly turning toward Kiba and the trees keeping him pinned in place. **Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!** Focusing energy into his palm, a small ball of red energy formed in his palm, pointing it toward the trees. "Let's go, Ddraig!" Issei roared before cocking his arm back and punching the ball of energy. It exploded forth, vaporizing the trees into nothing. He had aimed just above Kiba, avoiding him and freeing him from the manipulated branches. Kiba let out a grunt of pain as he started to fall through the air, in too much pain to spread his wings and stop his descent.

"Don't worry prince charming, I got you." Issei chuckled as he quickly flew forward and caught his friend before he could hit the ground.

"Issei-san…" Kiba muttered, unable to support himself at the moment. "How did you get here..?"

"Jotaro-san figured out who that kid was. Turns out he was a Stand user from way back as a baby." Issei explained as they hovered to the ground, setting down the blond and being careful to be gentle when handling him. "He got us here soon as he could. Sona helped me and Josuke get into this dream world place."

"I see… it seems we were completely fooled." Kiba sighed, feeling ashamed that he couldn't see through the deception before. "The others are surely suffering quite a bit. What I've seen so far has been… terrible…"

"I'm guessing this is all some personal shit, then?" Issei guessed easily, peering at Kiba in question, only for the blond to avert his eyes. "Don't worry, I won't press for answers. We've all got something that's hard to say, you know?"

Kiba bit his bottom lip, glancing down at his injured body to see it recovering due to Asia's magic again. With a heavy sigh, Kiba nodded in thanks. "Perhaps someday… but this is hardly the ideal situation to be discussing this, either way. We should get going."

"I've got us on that one." Issei declared, holding a finger to his ear. "Tsubaki-senpai, can you hear me? I've got Kiba right here, so open us a way out!"

"My, my. Are you trying to leave already, Isaiah?" Kiba felt his skin crawl again as he gripped his hand around his sword. He and Issei glanced past the burnt trees to see Valper Galilei once again, the plump priest chuckling out. "Now, you wouldn't want to do that. You'll hurt their feelings.

"Shut up! I don't want to hear another word from a fake like you!" Kiba snapped in anger, surprising Issei with the intensity of his voice. "Putting that man before me to distract me… I'll have your head!"

"C-calm down, Kiba! Remember, it's a fake!" Issei had to remind him, quickly reaching out and grabbing the blond's shoulder. "No matter what he says, it doesn't matter!" the brunette quickly reminded him. Kiba ground his teeth in frustration, wanting nothing more than to dash forward and slice through the fake. Thanks to Issei though, he forced himself to think logically, gripping his hands white as he turned his back to the fake.

"Let's… get out of here…" Kiba muttered, despite his anger. Issei didn't bother to question it, turning back to lead Kiba away.

"I-Isaiah… don't leave us…" Kiba immediately froze when he heard his name called. It wasn't Valper this time, but someone very familiar to him. One of many voices that haunted his dreams over the years.

"Kiba?" Issei spoke, turning back to his friend after realizing he stopped. "K-Kiba, ignore it! It's not real!" He tried to reason with the blond, but his mind was obviously elsewhere. He was pale just from hearing the voice, and slowly turned back to see the source. "Kiba, don't-" Issei urged, but froze immediately after seeing a figure come out from behind Valper Galilei.

"T-Tosca…" Kiba muttered, his eyes dilating as a girl came out. She had deathly pale skin like a corpse. She had white long hair that went down in twin tails behind her head and looked to be about their age. "Wh-why are you…"

"You left us behind, Isaiah…" Another figure came out from one of the surrounding trees, a young boy this time that Kiba recognized as well. "You left us for dead… while you escaped."

"J-Joshua…" Kiba's voice was quiet and trembling, his body rigid as he stood there and reached out slowly. "N-no… o-our plan was to escape, we-"

"Kiba! They're fake! Don't listen to them!" Issei exclaimed again, reaching forward to grab the blond knight's shoulder and pull him away. He was quickly stopped as he felt hands wrap around him, pulling him back from the blond. "Sh-shit, who-" He growled out, turning to see several teens his age wearing the same body suits that the rest of Kiba's friends wore. He ground his teeth in anger, cocking his arm back to strike.

"W-wait, don't hurt them! Please, Issei!" Kiba pleaded desperately, his attention now on the brunette. Issei hesitated only for a moment before the teens reached forth and gripped his arm, their hands clawing into him.

"K-Kiba! I keep telling you, they're not-argh!" Issei growled in annoyance as another one of the corpses clawed at his face. Not wanting to make Kiba even more disillusioned, he opted to only pushing off the teens around him rather than trying to destroy them.

"Pl-please! Leave Issei alone! I don't want to destroy you all if I don't have to!" Kiba declared, pulling out his sword again and holding it forward. He didn't notice nor care that tears were now streaming down his cheeks, the sight of those he lost almost being enough to break him down as is.

"You never came back… never bothered to find a way to save us…" Another one of the corpses spoke, stepping closer to Kiba. The blond's sword was shaking in his hands, his frown deepening each time he looked upon the familiar faces.

"P-please… I-I never forgot about any of you…" Kiba choked out, his voice cracking through the strain. "I-I'm going to avenge you, I-"

"What good does that do us?" Tosca intoned, Kiba turning to her in fear with his sword held forward. "We're all dead… and no Devil will bring us back to life…"

"You could join us though, Isaiah…" Joshua quietly spoke, taking another step forward and offering a stiff hand out. "Join us… and be together with us… forever…"

"N-no… I… I'm going to avenge you all, I swear!" Kiba retorted, unable to control his emotional state. Seeing them this vividly hurt. What previous dreams he remembered of them were never this clear. They were silhouettes or at worst just faces. He could now see them in full view, all dead. All having suffered the same fate of death. All while he escaped and lived on to become a Devil.

"What good is revenge if you're still alone?" Tosca hummed out in that strangely dead tone, her lifeless eyes burrowing into Kiba. "Even if you get Valper and the Holy Swords… does it really matter?"

"You'll be all alone again… Only then with no revenge to cling to…" Joshua spoke this time, each one of their words causing Kiba's grip to loosen ever so slowly around his sword. "You'll have nothing left… but to join us in death… Why wait until then?"

Kiba trembled where he stood, the flood pouring from his eyes never wavering with each whisper from his deceased friends. No, they weren't just his friends. They had been his family. They were all he had up until that point. He desperately wanted to see them again. "I… I…"

"That's **bullshit**!"

Kiba blinked in shock, whipping his head back toward Issei. The brunette was huffing in frustration, a fire burning in his eyes. "You better not be buying a damn thing these fakes are saying, Kiba!"

"I-Issei-san…" Kiba muttered, his senses slowly starting to return thanks to the outburst of the brunette.

"Don't believe for a damn **second** that you'd be alone!" Issei exclaimed, the aura from his gauntlet flaring to life as he spoke. A shockwave erupted from him, knocking the fakes around him back before they could continue to try and subdue him. "Everyone at the club wants to be there for you, moron! I don't know what's going on with you or what happened, but that doesn't matter! If you were to come to me, I'd help you out in a heartbeat!"

Kiba felt the tears in his eyes start to dry, his body finally stopped trembling.

"And if you ever do get your revenge or whatever it is you're looking for, don't think for a damn second we wouldn't do everything we could to help you get it!" Issei snapped, pointing an accusing finger at Kiba. "Me, president, Josuke, Okuyasu, Koneko-chan, Akeno-san, and Asia, we'd **all** be there for you, moron! I know that sometimes, there are some things people have to do by themself. But that doesn't mean we won't try our best to help! And once it was over, you'd have **all** of us there for you! You wouldn't be alone!"

" _You don't gotta do all this shit alone, Kiba. I'm not smart, but… I know that much."_

Okuyasu's speech to him not long ago echoed through his mind, his resolve strengthening once again. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, brow furrowing in fury.

"Enough with this sappy shit!" Tosca suddenly exclaimed as she launched forward at Kiba. "You're both nothing but some dipshits with baggage! You're both going to di-"

The quiet yet beautiful sound of sword slashing through air echoed through the forest, Kiba having finally made his move. It took a moment for the imitations to process what had ultimately happened, that was until their bodies exploded into a bloody spurt, falling back on the ground before splitting in half. Kiba opened his eyes and narrowed them dangerously, swinging his blade to rid it of the remaining blood.

"Thank you, Issei-san. Thank you for waking me up." He declared with gratitude, standing straight and sheathing his blade. He then turned to look at the brunette with a remorseful smile. "And please forgive me for my moment of weakness."

Issei blinked in awe before giving a big grin of his own. "That's what friends are for." Issei quickly spun around to the imitations by him, holding up his gauntlet and focusing his energy. **Boost!** With a concentrated amount, Issei unleashed a powerful wave of his demonic aura, incinerating the corpses into nothing. Seeing nothing left to threaten them immediately, Issei grinned before turning back to Kiba. "So, ready to go and save president?"

"I believe I am." Kiba chuckled, the light heartedness returning to his voice as he walked over to join the brunette.

"Wait a damn sec! Where do you think you're going?!" The imitation of Valper Galilei exclaimed, his face stretching and becoming monstrous. "This is **Death 13** 's world! You cannot leave without his permission! You will both die here!" It cried out, its body becoming larger and a mass of muscle and claws. Despite the intimidating scene, Issei and Yuuto merely looked up at the fake priest curiously.

"You know, I had almost completely forgotten that his imitation was here." Kiba admitted with a small smirk. "A little strange, isn't it?"

"Well, I'd say we've got some time. Wanna take him out real quick?" Issei asked with a grin. Kiba returned it, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword again.

"You **shitheads**! You think you can escape my world?! That you can destroy **my** creations?! I'll fucking rip both of your balls off and-"

Issei and Yuuto didn't bother to wait for him to finish. They were both upon him without a moment of hesitation, Issei's gauntlet glowing with life while Kiba's sword shifted to its destruction form, the two grinning evilly as they stood in front of the priest.

"Oh…"

"Get lost!" They both roared before laying into the imitation with a combined attack, Issei blasting through with a punch and Kiba slicing right through with a vertical slash. Valper stood there for a moment, only to have his body completely fly apart before exploding into pieces from the force.

The two stood in silence for a moment, allowing their powers to settle after flexing such large amounts. Kiba once again flicked the blood from his blade before returning it to its sheath.

"So. Feel a bit better?" Issei asked with a small smirk. Kiba turned to him with a passive look at first before offering an amused smile.

"A little bit. It was good practice for future reference." Kiba declared, brushing off a bit of blood and guts from his shoulder. "So then, shall we go and assist president?"

"Lets. I hate making her wait like this." Issei admitted with a sigh before holding a hand to his ear. "Tsubaki-senpai, we're ready this time."

"Issei-san…" Kiba spoke again, his voice conveying a more serious tone as he looked up to the brunette with sincere eyes. "Thank you."

Issei smirked before giving a thumbs up, watching as a pathway of light opened up before their eyes. "You can count on me anytime, prince. Don't get too proud to ask."

* * *

"Damn it damn it damn it damn it **damn it**!" Mannish boy cursed over and over again. He felt the simultaneous failures occur all at once. Josuke and Issei had successfully thwarted two of his assassination attempts. They had acted far quicker than he was expecting, and the Devils were somehow able to recover from their trauma before he could ultimately finish them off. If he wouldn't be giving himself away, Mannish Boy might have slammed his hands against the surrounding wall he was hiding within.

"This is all bullshit! I can't believe those damn shitheads got in the way! I almost had them both!" He quietly spat. He had whispered both now and when he cursed so violently, logic giving him enough sense to keep from exposing his location to whoever might be nearby.

"Those damn Devils! They take way too damn long to kill because of their fucking powers! And that bastard, Jotaro…" He cursed quietly, biting his bottom lip in annoyance. "I can't believe that asshole Kakyoin actually convinced him of my powers… he figured it out way too damn quick!"

Mannish Boy breathed in and out, taking a moment to calm his nerves somewhat. Despite being a child, he knew he couldn't let his first two failures stop him now. "They just got lucky… I couldn't control all those worlds as strongly since there were four of them… Not to mention the distraction I'm using for Jotaro and that other idiot searching for me. If it wasn't damn Devils, I could have easily killed them all in one dreamscape…" He clicked his tongue in frustration. Taking another moment to relax, he released a sigh before grinning darkly.

"Oh well. It's not over yet. If they plan to help their friends out, they're going to have to go to the other dreamscapes. With only two to manage, I should be able to kill the red head and the big titted bitch much faster. This isn't over yet, you morons."

 **To be continued…**

 **Thanks goes to my beta reader nitewind for his quick work on putting the chapter out!**

 **Well, that took a bit longer than I would have liked. To be honest, there was a bit of struggling at first at the content of this chapter, and I have no doubt the same will be for the next one. Most likely because I had this idea in my head for a long time, but never ironed out the details lol.**

 **So yeah, as you can see, Josuke and Issei are experiencing their friends trauma and fears firsthand. But that's not to say Okuyasu and Jotaro aren't going to meet their own troubles in the real world. We'll see how they fare after going to Rias and Akeno's dreams next and what they might have to do to help them through it all.**

 **About the Koneko scene, I felt that was incredibly necessary for some development. In a lot of stories I've seen, fanfiction or not, I feel like the girl will just put their all into some guy including all of their strength and courage. So instead, I wanted Josuke to inspire more than that: faith in herself. Koneko and, the others as well, will most likely find themselves alone in future battles, and won't be able to depend on someone to save them in a bad situation. He wants to be there to help, but that's not always possible no matter how much you want it. He needed to make it clear to her that Koneko was strong even without him. I wanted that to something she learns from this experience.**

 **Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Please leave a review, a follow and a favorite for me, kay? I'm out!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: I own neither Highschool DXD or JoJo's Bizarre Adventure**

Chapter 23

Okuyasu was searching every nook and cranny he could get his hands on the moment he left the room. Jotaro was searching through one of the nearby empty rooms while the punk teen was leaving no stone left unturned… though a bit too literally. He was tossing around hall tables and chairs as he goofily darted around the old school building. "Come out, you little bastard!" Okuyasu grunted as he sprinted through the halls. He hated feeling helpless right now. Only able to search while everyone's life was in danger. If he could end it sooner rather than later by finding the kid, he would gladly deck him, no matter his age.

Okuyasu skidded to a halt as he came to a corner, getting ready to continue his mad dash. He paused in his stride though, eyes widening as they spotted a set of double doors at the opposite end of the hall. They were chained closed and yellow caution tape was sporadically draped across the walls and doors.

Blinking as he looked up at the door, a goofy grin spread across Okuyasu's face, cracking his knuckles as he stomped toward the doors. "That friggin' dumbass. He thinks he can fool us with some shitty tape job like that?" Okuyasu spat before rolling his shoulders. "I'll bust this shit down and beat his ass!" He growled as he lunged forward shoulder first. Much to his shock, a red magic circle appeared the moment he was an inch away, the seal bouncing him off and causing Okuyasu to fall flat on his butt.

"W-what the hell?! Magic too?!" Okuyasu grunted in irritation, standing up and rubbing his butt. "I'll show that shitty brat. We'll see if that dumbass seal can stop **The Hand**!"

Okuyasu's Stand materialized into existence, its right arm raised high above and ready for a swipe, the air contorting around its palm.

"Okuyasu, what are you doing?" The punk teen blinked before he could swing, glancing back to see Jotaro further down the hall approaching him.

"O-oh, Jotaro-san! I think I found where that little shit is hidin'! But it's got a magic seal, I think, so I was gonna wipe that shit outta the way." Okuyasu explained with a confident grin, though Jotaro only looked past him at the door with a more thoughtful expression.

"I doubt that Mannish Boy had any magic to help him do that. Not to mention he isn't dumb enough to make it so obvious by putting the caution tape up over his hiding spot." Jotaro deduced easily, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone. "It's likely something belonging to Rias is in there. I'm going to see if Sona knows about it."

"A-ah, okay…" Okuyasu nodded dumbly, dismissing his Stand and waiting for Jotaro.

"Sona, its Jotaro… no, we haven't found the Stand user yet. I needed to see if you know about some sealed off door in the back, though… its got caution tape all over it and Okuyasu said there's a seal blocking it off as well… I see, so it's unrelated to what we're looking for, then. Will he be able to get inside?.. I see. Okay then, we'll rule it out as a possibility. Thanks." Jotaro hung up after the brief conversation before looking up at Okuyasu. "Come on. Whatever's back there, it's unrelated to the Stand user."

"W-wait, but what is back there?" Okuyasu blanched, eyes looking back at the door in curiosity now.

"Not sure. Sona only said that it was a personal matter belonging to Rias and to ask her if we really want to know when this is over." Jotaro shrugged, seemingly uninterested in the mystery behind the door.

"Aw-what?" Okuyasu blurted out in disappointment.

"Forget the door, Okuyasu. We've got an objective, don't get distracted." Jotaro reminded him. Okuyasu bit his bottom lip and quickly nodded, reminding himself of his current priorities.

"G-got it, sorry…" He grumbled before quickly following after Jotaro. He spared a single glance back at the door before focusing forward. "Maybe I'll find out later…"

* * *

 **XXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXX**

Rias had been holding her ground against the Riser imposter fairly well. Despite the imaginative version looking and acting exactly the same as her former fiance, it didn't seem to have the same amount of power. Perhaps that was due to her cognitive view of him. Sure it could regenerate and use flames, but after Riser's loss to Issei and Josuke, she didn't view him as the immortal phoenix that he boasted at being. She didn't fear losing to Riser like she did before, and that seemed to help weigh this fight in her favor.

"You might look like Riser Phenex, but you're not able to generate his power." Rias declared as she lashed out with her Power of Destruction, a black bolt of energy blasting through the copy of Riser. "You can't beat me."

"Is that right?" Riser chuckled, his body reforming from flames. "Even so, I can keep taking as much of your magic as I like. You can't keep this up forever."

"I won't have to. I know that Issei and the others will come to our aid soon. I believe it within my heart." Rias declared, holding a hand over her chest. "That pale imitation over there can't fool me."

"Oh, imitation, you say?" Riser chuckled, crossing his arms and sparing a glance back at Issei. "Are you completely sure of that? Knowing that perverted child, he could have come in the middle of the night out of jealousy, hoping to get some groping in when he had the chance."

Rias narrowed her eyes, a small bit of hesitation in her from his words. It definitely was something Issei might do, but she couldn't let herself be fooled. It was just a mindgame that her attacker was trying to play. "You might have plenty of details on our group, but it won't be enough to trick me."

"P-president… please…" Issei's supposed fake muttered out weakly. Rias felt her heart falter for a second before strengthening her resolve, resisting the urge to run to her servant and love interest. She held back, keeping her eyes focused on Riser "It's really- **ARGH**!"

Rias felt her strong visage fall as she watched the fake Riser stick a flaming finger into Issei's gut, a hole burning right through and causing the brunette to cry out in agony. "Well, I suppose if he's a fake, then the pain he's currently suffering means nothing to you, correct?" Riser taunted as he pulled his hand away from Issei. Moments later, a green aura surrounded Issei's body, his wounds soon disappearing.

"No, that's…" Rias muttered, recognizing the healing energy from Asia's Sacred Gear. Sweat started to form on her brow, the red headed Devil narrowing her eyes in anger as she ground her teeth.

"So, my love. Have you decided whether or not he's real, yet?" Riser smirked darkly, flames spouting up from his body. Rias felt her hands grip in fury, a heated glare directed at the fake as a dark aura surrounded her.

"Regardless of real or fake… I will **not** have you disrespect the image of my precious servant!" Rias proclaimed, her Devil wings sprouting on her back before she launched herself forward. Raising a hand, she launched another blast of her Power of Destruction.

The Riser copy took it with a laugh, the top right of his upper body dispersing from the blast. With his left arm, he reared back a ball of flame that built up power before launching it forward at Princess of Ruin merely narrowed her eyes before nimbly dodging over head, her right arm cocked back for another attack.

"You might look and regenerate similar to the real thing, but even I must reluctantly admit you nowhere near match his capabilities in power." Rias declared before positioning her hand palm first in front of Riser's face."And I no longer see you as immortal. Which means in this dream, you cannot survive everything I have to give. **Destroy**!" Rias let out a powerful wave of black energy point blank into the fake's face, this time eliciting a scream of agony from the dream version of Riser. His body fell back to the ground, limp and headless.

Rias hovered back to the ground, crossing her arms underneath her chest in triumph as she smirked. "I have to say, one good takeaway from all of this is that I got the chance to lash out at Riser again." She doubted that the fight was over, knowing that in this dream world, many other things could be produced. She kept her guard up, but made her way over to the chained up dream of Issei. Her eyes softened as she glanced up at the battered form of her servant, wanting to take him down from his restraints despite what logic told her.

"Issei…" Rias muttered, the dream version of the teen seemingly unconscious. Rias gripped her hand, strengthening her resolve before raising her arm up and summoning a magic circle in her palm. "I know you're a fake… and I won't let you take me off guard."

"P-president…" Issei muttered quietly, looking up at her with pleading eyes. Again, Rias nearly faltered, but hardened her expression.

"Even a fake of you makes me hesitate…" Rias muttered, eyes closing for a moment before she opened them. "But only for a moment…"

"Why…" The fake asked weakly, though Rias wouldn't let it stop-

"Why did you let me die that night?"

Rias felt the energy drain from her palm and the color drain from her face.

"What? What are you-"

"When Raynare came for me… Why did you let me die?"

* * *

 **XXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXX**

When Akeno first explored this dreamscape she was locked in, she was unsure what would happen. When she first encountered her former kin, she hadn't been sure exactly how she might react. When she saw their staffs raise with ill intent toward her, it hadn't taken long to decide what she was going to do. She had a lot of pent up aggression toward her former family. A family that shunned and abandoned her. A family that tried to execute here.

Luckily for them, Akeno had deduced that these people before her were, in fact, not real, and later realized that this was in fact a dream. So despite knowing that this wasn't real and that destroying these imitations of her old family would serve nothing for the real world, Akeno decided to enjoy herself. The dream versions of her family were decently strong despite their lack of true spiritual energy and had landed several hits on the former Fallen Angel.

But Akeno was relentless in her assault. She incinerated the first wave of exorcists without hesitation. Why should she hesitate, after all? They were just fakes. That's what Akeno told herself as she mercilessly destroyed the exorcists, watching as electricity caused many of them to convulse in pain, skin turn to char, and eyes explode in their heads. Some were lucky enough to receive the brunt of her lightning and die almost immediately.

Akeno had to admit, for being cognitive makes, they certainly died like the real thing. Not that she had to worry about the suffering of an imagined being.

"Y-you monster…" Akeno merely glanced to the side to see the copy of her great-uncle still alive with several other remaining Miko's at his side. "W-we should have killed you all that time ago… especially after seeing what an abomination you truly turned out to be."

Akeno gripped her hand in anger, eyes filled with fury as she raised her right hand at her great uncle, electricity sparking around her fingers. Even if these things were just fakes, they knew exactly how to press the right buttons. Akeno was more than happy to make sure they were silenced.

 ***KRAK-KOOOM***

A blast of demonic electricity blazed forth, the imitations crying out in pain as their bodies charred from the shock. Akeno lowered her arm and released a sigh, eyes falling to the ground. "An abomination… as terrible as they were, they're right…." She muttered to herself, hand slowly reaching to one of her wings. It started to shift its shape, the thin batwing becoming large and feathery instead. She dug her nails into the wing, ignoring the pain she felt from such an action. It wasn't the type of pain she might enjoy, it was the pain that made her want to rip the wing from her shoulders. Finally releasing it, Akeno took a deep breath, trying to relax somewhat and forget the words of the imagined exorcists.

"This is only a dream… their words mean nothing." Akeno muttered to herself, though her eyes still slacked sullenly. Her feathered wing shifted back into a bat wing, the Priestess of Thunder ascending into the air. Now that she had an idea of what was going on, she had to do her best to find a way out. It obviously wasn't as simple as a typical dream attack as the world wasn't within her control.

She gazed around the landscape before a single clearing caught her eye. An old shrine sat there, connected to an old fashion Japanese styled home. Akeno's eyes widened as a sense of familiarity filled her, the sight drawing her in. "Home…" she muttered, not realizing that she was now hovering ever so slowly toward the shrine. Akeno scanned the area around her for enemies, still keeping her caution despite the obvious distraction in front of her. When no enemies came into sight, Akeno slowly stepped forward, swallowing a small lump in her throat.

This place wasn't real. This shrine and this home were merely figments of the dreamscape. Yet Akeno couldn't help herself. The familiarity of the home drew her in further, her feet already touching the floorboards of the traditional Japanese building. It felt like looking at a picture, seeing the familiar furniture in its exact place when she was a child. She slowly stepped further in, going against the logic that was screaming for her to turn back. To destroy this building outright with a concentrated bolt of lightning. Still, she continued in.

"Hm~hm… Hm~..."

Akeno paused when she heard a faint hum of a woman fill the air, her body tensing as she raised a hand and allowed electricity to crackle between her fingers as she slowly stepped forward, hoping to find the source for whatever reason. She moved around the couches and moved so that the kitchen came into view. Deep within the darkness, Akeno could make out a figure sweeping with a bamboo broom.

It only took a moment for Akeno's eyes to peer into the darkness and realize who it was, the electricity in her hand dying as her arm slowly fell to her side. The woman in the kitchen wore a Shinto Priestess outfit just like Akeno's, and had the same raven black hair held up in a blue bow. _This is fake… this is…_ Akeno's reason and logic tried to reign her back in. But her emotions were starting to win this fight as she felt mist start to build up in her eyes.

"M-moma..?" she called out with strain. Akeno's supposed mother stopped in her motion of sweeping, head lifting after hearing Akeno speak. The raven haired Devil took a small step back, some of her caution still in her.

"Ah, dear Akeno…" The raven haired Devil felt her face pale and her blood run cold. The moment that the image of her mother turned around, she saw the all too familiar fatal wound across her chest, fresh blood flowing down from it all over her clothes and at the corners of her mouth.

"You've grown into quite the woman."

* * *

 **XXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXX**

Jotaro pushed open another door among the many he had already inspected. The veteran Stand user inspected every inch of the room meticulously. One small mistake in visual could lead to missing exactly where the Stand user might be hiding. Most people, Okuyasu for instance, would be completely frustrated at this point at the lack of progression in finding Mannish Boy at this point. Thankfully, Jotaro knew the best thing he could do was keep a cool head, continuing his search with his patience in check. Everyone else was doing their part by going into the dreamscape, he had to do his by searching as carefully as possible.

"This old building is rather large. The amount of places he could potentially be hidden in is high." Jotaro hummed to himself, opening an old wardrobe only to find it empty. Closing it back up, he released a sigh and turned around, heading out of the room. "Still, I'm sure we've checked the majority of the rooms. I doubt he's dumb enough to hide out in the open in a room, even if it's out of the way…" looking down the hall, Jotaro made sure that this was the last of the rooms on this floor to be checked, marking each one to memory.

 _Looks like we'll have to double back soon and see if we missed anything._ Jotaro mused to himself, resigning to leave this floor and head for the next one down. It would be wise to regroup with Okuyasu and go over the details each found in a room that might have seemed out of place. His thoughts went back to the room that was sealed off, but quickly perished the thought. If Sona considered it a special case of Rias that couldn't be breached easily, then he would trust her on such.

"Ah, there you are, Jojo. I was wondering when I might find you."

Jotaro felt his entire body stiffen. A bead of sweat trailed down his brow, his eyes wide the moment he heard that familiar voice. A voice he hadn't heard in over ten years. Jotaro hesitated to do so, feeling a whirl of emotions swell up, but finally leveled his gaze forward to the end of the hall by the stairs. Standing there was a rather tall teenager with red hair. He wore a green school uniform with golden buttons at the front. He was rather large, almost as large as Jotaro and as muscular. At the center of his stomach was a gaping hole that seeped with blood.

"Kakyoin…" Jotaro muttered, hand gripping until his knuckles were white. Regret suddenly filled him, guilt flooding his heart after just seeing the image of his long dead friend.

"Ah, so you do remember me, Jojo. And here I thought that we were only afterthoughts once Dio was killed." Kakyoin chuckled out, blood spilling out of his mouth as he spoke.

"No… you…" Jotaro suddenly spoke, feeling a strange urgency as he took a step forward but immediately halted himself. _What the hell is going on? It's just an illusion, but…_

"Tell me, Jotaro-kun. Were our lives worth trading for your mother's?" Kakyoin asked, his voice sounding far too leveled for such a dark question. "I'm sure Avdol and Iggy might have disagreed had they thought of it. I've had a lot of time to dwell on such as well after being killed."

"You…" Jotaro muttered, his hat shading his eyes as he took another shaky step forward. Part of Jotaro wanted to listen to what this image was saying. Wanted to believe that it was the actual Kakyoin, despite what all of his knowledge and experience was telling Jotaro at the moment.

"I never got to say goodbye to my parents, Jojo. Never even told them where I was going after we left for Egypt." Kakyoin sighed, his expression becoming more sullen with his words. "All that they got in return was a casket with their dead son, some reason imagined by the Speedwagon Foundation to cover up the truth of my death."

Jotaro felt guilt strike at his heart again. This was something that had never sat well with him since the incident. He saw why it was necessary as it was nothing you could simply explain to his parents. Still, the day that they held Kakyoin's funeral, Jotaro had never been so quiet. He had dealt with it like most of his problems, simply acting like the punk Jotaro had been known to be.

A week after, though, Jotaro had finally broken down. On his way to school, he had strayed from the usual path after waking up late. Heading to the bus stop, Jotaro spotted a missing poster on the bulletin board. One of Kakyoin that his parents had put up after his disappearance but likely forgot to take down. That was one of the few times in Jotaro's teenage life that he had shed tears.

Right now, Jotaro felt close to that point again, after all these years and having settled the matter in his heart.

"It must have been difficult to hear the authenticated lie that the Speedwagon Foundation made up. Though I can imagine that it was worse to see my parents realize their son was gone." Kakyoin mused, his eyes narrowed in accusation.

 _It was._ Jotaro took a heavy step forward, hesitantly closing some distance between him and Kakyoin.

"Did you keep the tough guy act, even through my funeral? I suppose that makes sense considering how little you seem to care." Kakyoin sighed, eyes falling to the side. "No one could ever crack that shell of yours."

 _I did._ Another step was taken forward, Jotaro's nails digging enough into his palm to spill a bit of blood.

"How much can someone like that really care about others?" Kakyoin posed another question, placing a hand on his hip as he leaned against the wall. "Is saying that you care about someone really enough to prove so? I'm sure I'm not the only one to call into question how much you truly care."

 _You're not. And you're right._ Jotaro's pace picked up, his approach toward Kakyoin becoming a more steady walk, his hat hiding his eyes in shadow.

"At the end of the day, were we really friends, Jotaro?" Kakyoin asked, his voice rising in volume as he pointed at the veteran Stand user. "Or was it only your mother and grandfather that meant anything to you?! Tell me, Jotaro-"

 **ORA!**

The moment that Jotaro was close enough, **Star Platinum** chopped through the imitation of Kakyoin. It didn't split apart like a normal body, the cut, in fact, resulting in the body splitting apart with a strange cloud covering the part of its body that would likely be spilling guts and blood everywhere.

"... Kakyoin, Avdol, Iggy and Polnareff were my only friends. The only ones willing to put up with a punk like me." Jotaro admitted, his eyes coming into view as he tilted his head up, narrowed dangerously at the upper half of the imitation of Kakyoin. "But you're just some hallucination dreamed up by that brat."

"Y-you bastard…" The image spoke out weakly, unable to do anything else.

"You weren't fooling me with that image. Your powers have grown exponentially. There's no doubt about that." Jotaro surmised, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a box of cigarettes, popping one into his mouth and pulling out a lighter. "But your power relies heavily on dreams. You might be able to make dreams come out in the real world, but they have little to no power out here. They're nothing more than clouds. Of course, you knew that, but wanted it to buy you more time. That's all you can do against us until the others are dead, after all."

Jotaro watched as Kakyoin's image dissipated into nothing. Suddenly, his heart felt free of its guilt and regret, confirming Jotaro's hypothesis. "Yare yare daze… so he was manipulating my emotions. That kid's hell of a lot stronger than I realized. Ten years of development of such a Stand certainly served him well…" lighting up his cigarette, Jotaro blew a cloud of smoke out. "The kids are probably having it even worse in the dream world. I had trouble keeping a clear head from just that image…" Suddenly a thought occurred to Jotaro, his eyes widening in realization. He took off in a mad dash, rushing down the stairs without thought.

"Okuyasu!"

* * *

 **XXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXX**

"Shit, nothin' in here, either…" Okuyasu grumbled, tossing a chair he'd picked up as he searched through another room. Fruitless was a good word for most of his search. The punk was sure that he had checked several of the same rooms by mistake with how much clutter he could find. He was now starting to resent the fact that Rias was able to get an entire school building devoted to the Occult Research Club. Still, that didn't serve to weaken his resolve one bit. He would find that kid and give him a hard slug across the chin.

"That little shit better hope that Jotaro-san finds him first…" Okuyasu huffed out, just thinking about what Mannish Boy was possibly doing to his friends stirring up a fresh pit of anger in the punk teen.

"As always, you allow your emotions to dictate your actions. You haven't changed at all, Okuyasu."

Okuyasu immediately stiffened. The voice he had just heard fill the air was all too familiar to him. He had listened to that voice's beck and call for the majority of his life. Cranking his head ever so slowly to the door, Okuyasu felt his breath leave him as he saw his older brother, Keicho, leaning against the doorframe. "B-big bro…" Okuyasu muttered, his jaw slackening as he took a step toward his brother.

"Look at you, scrambling around for the sake of those Devils up stairs. Still letting others doing your thinking for you." Keicho scoffed, his words causing Okuyasu to flinch. "You can't do anything for yourself."

Okuyasu felt a pang of shame in his heart, unable to look up at his brother. "I-I'm tryin', bro… I just-" He suddenly shook his head, grinding his teeth as sweat started to drip down his face. "W-wait, you're not big bro! Y-you're just some sorta fake or somethin'!"

"Are you sure about that? I might have been revived after my death as a Devil." Keicho reasoned, his words causing Okuyasu to hesitate. To Okuyasu, that logic made some sense. "A death that occurred because of **your** stupidity, mind you."

Another blow of guilt struck at Okuyasu's heart, his hand slowly reaching up and gripping at his chest. "B-but… y-you saved me… you saved me and it-"

"And what exactly came from that?!" Keicho roared fiercely, his eyes glaring with a flame of loathing. "You went on with your dumb carefree life, hanging onto the coattails of those around you so that you don't have to think! You haven't changed at all, Okuyasu!"

"B-big bro…" Okuyasu muttered, biting his bottom lip as he tried to hold back the wave of emotions he felt washing over him. "I… I'm doin' my best, I swear… I-I'm still growin'..."

"Are you kidding? You're still nothing but the dumb servant." Okuyasu's eyes widened in shock as he spun around, Elmenhilde standing at the back of the room with a look of disgust on her face. "You still think that we're friends, even after everything that happened? How pathetic."

Okuyasu gripped at his chest again, falling to one knee as the despair was beginning to overwhelm him. "I… I just wanted to… we…" Okuyasu fumbled for an answer, tears starting to stream down his cheeks. With the state of his emotions, Okuyasu struggled to question the validity of the appearance of either his brother or Elmenhilde. Instead, his sorrow and loneliness cut away at his heart, all while the two illusions continued with their tirade.

"All that time I spent with you was merely to make sure that you both didn't plot with the bow and arrow. You mean **nothing** to me." Elmenhilde giggled darkly, her words coming out sickly sweet and further depressing Okuyasu.

"Hanging onto such a fragile friendship as that one was another of your dumbest mistakes." Keicho added this time, looking down on Okuyasu as he spoke. "You allow yourself to get too close to those around you. You don't even consider how much that your so called 'friends' might be manipulating you."

Okuyasu's body suddenly froze, eyes shaded by his brow as the tears in his eyes seemed to stop streaming. The sorrow and shame Okuyasu felt was still heavy on his heart, but a third emotion hit him like a truck: anger.

"You…" Okuyasu slowly lifted his gaze up to meet Keicho's, teeth ground in fury as sweat dripped down his brow. "You don't know shit about 'em… Wh-when you died, they were all I had left… All I had to go to. So don't you say a damn thing about 'em!"

"Heh. That blind loyalty to your comrades is another of your greatest flaws." Keicho scoffed, shaking his head. "The more you cling to friends, the less you can grow. Especially if they should see it to their own benefit to hold you back."

"You can't even let go of the illusion of friendship that you assumed we have." Elmenhilde giggled cruelly, her words again stinging right at Okuyasu's heart. "You'll never change at this rate."

"You'll only remain the slow witted kid brother that you are until your death. You will let others make your choice until, eventually, they make a decision that leads to your demise." Keicho chuckled further, shaking his head. "A fitting death for you, I think."

"Sh-shut up! They won't… I-I mean I'm gonna…" Okuyasu muttered hopelessly, falling back to his knees as shame and guilt once again started to take over, streams of tears starting to fall again.

"Face it, Okuyasu. You'll never change." Keicho laughed one last time, putting the nail in the coffin. Okuyasu didn't have the courage to look up and face his brother, the pain gripping deathly at his heart.

"Okuyasu!" He heard his voice called, but didn't bother to look up, only continuing to sniffle. He heard footfall approach, only now mustering up the strength to adjust his gaze up slightly, only to see Keicho was gone. Quickly snapping his head back, he now noticed that Elmenhilde was also gone.

"Okuyasu." The punk turned his head back to Jotaro, the veteran Stand user in the doorway and watching him with his usually cold eyes. "Are you alright?"

"... K-Keicho a-and… Elmy-chan, they were just…" Okuyasu muttered, rubbing his face into his sleeve and choking out his words.

"They were illusions, Okuyasu. Just manifestations made by the user's Stand. Whatever you saw, it wasn't real. He manipulated your emotions to distract you from looking." Jotaro explained, Okuyasu blinking in shock. Now that the imitations were gone, he certainly felt a bit better. At least, it seemed less intense. Still, their words continued to weigh on his heart. He couldn't just shake off what they had said.

"... I see…" Okuyasu muttered, slowly pushing off the ground and standing up. It was silent between the two for a moment, Jotaro likely giving him some time to regain his composure. Taking a deep breath and wiping his face of snot and tears, Okuyasu looked back up at Jotaro. "I'm… I'm ready…"

"Alright then. Let's get back to searching." Jotaro nodded turning around to lead him out. "I know that what he probably showed you was bad, but try to forget it for now. Josuke and the others are still in danger."

"G-got it… I'll try and stay focused…" Okuyasu nodded slowly, eyes still heavy after the tidal wave of emotion. Jotaro was silent again, considering whether he should say anything else before turning away to start leading them again. "Oi… Jotaro-san."

The veteran Stand user looked back. "Yes?"

"When we find that kid…" Okuyasu muttered, gripping his fist in aggravation. "... I wanna be the first to punch his lights out."

Jotaro was passive for a moment before smirking. "Fine. But don't damage him too bad. I get the feeling by the end of this, most of the others will want in on that as well."

* * *

 **XXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXX**

"When Raynare came for me… Why did you let me die?"

Rias felt her eyes widen at his question and her body tremble. She couldn't help it for some reason. Even though she knew it was a fake asking her this, the question posed had struck a chord. She watched as the chains holding Issei up lowered him to the ground, the copy standing up as he took a step closer to Rias.

"S-stay back!" Rias demanded, holding up her arm and preparing to blast the imposter away again, though yet again found herself hesitating.

"You just wanted another pet, is that it? Another fancy title for a Sacred Gear in your book of servants?" Issei asked, his voice raising in volume as he spoke.

"N-no! I-I swear, I didn't do that!" Rias exclaimed, her eyes softening as she felt her resolve become brittle. This was something that Rias had feared for a long time. That Issei would come to the conclusion that she had let him die. It was absurd, of course, but she could understand why he might assume so. Rias had been informed of his Sacred Gear by Koneko after the petite girl had spied on him just in case her hunch was right. But even so, they hadn't kept their eye constantly on him. They had, in fact, planned to try and speak to him the next day of school instead.

Of course, things turned out fairly different when the Fallen Angel had appeared. Raynare had done well to hide her presence from them. So when she struck Issei and murdered him, it had taken Rias by surprise. She was unaware of Issei's demise, only finding out the moment he summoned her in his dying breath desperately clinging to life.

Still, Rias had feared this moment for some time. If Issei wasn't willing to listen to her, she feared that all trust that now existed between the two might whittle down. She didn't want that. Above anything, she wanted to get closer to her pawn. She wanted to love him and be loved in return. But if Rias lost his trust, how could she hope to get his love?

"Even Josuke thought you let it happen, right? Don't lie to me!" Issei snapped in anger, eyes shining with accusation.

"N-no… Josuke only said that because he was still in pain..." Rias trailed off, remembering the first night that Josuke and Rias had met. The tall teen had remained suspicious of her motives from the beginning, of course, but he had left her with a warning of his own that night.

 _Josuke set Issei onto his bed, eyes shaded by his hair as he watched his best friend carefully._

" _Tomorrow, as promised, everything will be explained to him. Just make sure that you're able to convince him to come, okay?" Rias said quietly, eyes scanning over her new servant before looking up at Josuke._

" _Okay." Josuke muttered out quietly, not adding too much to the conversation from there. He had been generally quiet the entire night they had talked, most likely simmering in his anger alongside the wealth of information he was given all at once. Seeing that Josuke didn't seem to want to say much else, Rias turned around and headed for the door._

" _I suppose that concludes everything. I'll see you later today, Josuke-san."_

" _Before you go…" Josuke spoke up, Rias glancing back to see him leveling a hardened gaze at her. "Tell me something. Did you let him die?"_

 _Rias felt her eyes widen at this accusation before furrowing her brow seriously. "What do you mean?"_

" _You know what I mean. Did you_ _ **let**_ _him die?" Josuke restated, eyes filled with a great fire. "Did you see an opportunity and let that… Fallen Angel take his life so you could get this chance?"_

" _That's absurd. Had I known that a Fallen Angel was in my territory, I would have chased her out or slain her. Besides, allowing his death just to claim him as a servant is below me." Rias retorted with some indignation, crossing her arms over her ample breasts. The crimson haired Devil wasn't a fan of being accused of such a dirty scheme._

" _You're a Devil, supposedly. Is anything really below you?" Josuke shot back, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he locked his gaze with hers._

 _Rias closed her eyes and had to reign her emotions back in. Josuke was still distraught after what happened. How could he not be? He had just cradled his best friend's lifeless body in despair only a few hours ago. "Perhaps, if you get to know us more, you'll see that there's more to us than that. Now, you should get some rest. I'm sure it's been a long day for you Josuke-san." Rias pointed out, turning her back to him and getting ready to leave._

" _If I ever find out that you knew what was going on… or even had some part of it, you better hope I don't find you." Josuke suddenly threatened, eyes narrowing dangerously as he glared at Rias still. "Because I'll kill you. We'll see if you can come back the same way he did, then."_

Despite his initial animosity, Josuke had lost all distrust for Rias over time. He had even been more reasonable the next day, most likely because he had calmed down. They were good friends now, after all, and he had put himself at risk to help in the fight against Riser for her sake. Still, Rias had her own snaking fear that Josuke might, and by extension Issei, think that she allowed such a terrible thing to occur.

"You were so afraid of getting married that you just couldn't help yourself, huh?" Issei growled, his left arm in its exposed dragon scale state as it gripped anxiously. "It didn't really matter if I died if you bring me back, right? All it would cost me is my soul and you basically nothing…"

"I-Issei, I swear that's not true! I wanted you as my servant, sure, but I wasn't willing to-"

"Stop **lying** to me!" Issei snapped, rushing forward at Rias and wrapping his hands around her neck. Rias had dropped her guard, her emotions having gotten the better of her. Issei's grip on her throat was strong, the red headed Devil struggling to breath. "You didn't care about me! You probably planned to kill me yourself! It was pretty damn convenient that you could swoop in and save the day, huh?!"

 _No, I swear… I didn't mean for that to happen…_ Rias said to herself, only strained chokes escaping her mouth as he strangled her. But after a moment of weakness, Rias' eyes flashed back open, releasing her grip on his arm and holding her palm up to his chest. _Wh-what am I doing?! He's not real… He's_ _ **not**_ _Issei!_

With a bolt of black energy, Rias' power of Destruction exploded forth, blasting the imitation in the chest and sending him flying off of her. The crimson haired Devil sat up quickly, coughing out as she rubbed her neck in pain. "You're… not Issei…" she wheezed out, pushing up to her feet and glaring down at the fallen imitation. "Issei… Issei would know… that I would have never done something so selfish…"

"You really think that?" Rias widened her eyes as two hands gripped her arms from behind her, glancing back to see the dismembered body of the fake Riser's body restraining her. His head started to sprout from the flames on his shoulders, a sick grin on his face. "You don't think that, in the back of his mind somewhere, that Josuke doesn't still suspect you?" digging his hands into her arms, flames sprouted out and started to burn her, the Gremory heiress letting out a cry of pain.

"You… don't pretend you know them…" Rias grunted out despite the pain, magic circles forming in her palms as she prepared to strike back. "My precious servant… and my important friend… they might have suspected me of foul play once, but **no more**!"

Keeping her hands pointed back, Rias unleashed another torrent of her demonic energy, blowing the Riser imitation away before whirling around, spreading her Devil wings and glaring between the two imagined attackers. "I don't care if either of you is as powerful as the original… you've reminded me of an old terror in my life and have paraded around as the one I love… I will make you **pay**!"

"We'll see about that… you big tit **slut**!" Sitting up from his spot on the ground, the imagined version of Issei suddenly rose up, his face becoming a monstrous mess of jagged teeth and empty eyes as it's red scaled gauntlet started to spread its armor to the rest of his body. " **Lali ho~!** Just how much of your own servants power can you handle, bitch?!"

"Shit… it's taking on that form…" Rias muttered, biting her bottom lip anxiously. "Still, it won't have that same amount of power…"

"I won't need it to kill you!" It cackled, his voice completely distorted in contrast to its previous copy of Issei's voice.

"We'll put you out of your misery, my love!" Riser laughed, Rias glancing to the side to see the fake flames spreading around his body as it began to charge. Rias felt a bit of sweat start to form on her brow, holding a hand up at both of the imitations and preparing for one last ditch blast of energy. She didn't care if they could overpower her, she wouldn't show weakness to this dream world. Not again.

"President!"

Rias widened her eyes as she watched the imitation of Issei get a fist rammed into it's armored jaw, blood spilling from its mouth as it was sent flying by none other than her true pawn. "I-Issei!" Glancing quickly back to Riser, she witnessed Kiba slashing its body to pieces. "Yuuto!"

"We've come to bring you out of this nightmare, president." Kiba declared, flashing her a confident grin as he followed up his slashes by changing his blades to ice, slashing it forth and freezing the remaining pieces of the fake Riser. "We're sorry that we took so long."

"I hope they didn't do anything too bad to you, president." Issei said, grabbing the collar of his copy and glaring. "That asshole made a copy of me? Sick bastard. I bet you didn't even **look** at president's tits once!" He cried out in anger, rearing a fist back and slamming into the imitation's jaw again, sending it flying.

Rias couldn't stop a giggle from escaping, not at all surprised that Issei had said something so crude. "You're the real Issei, that's for sure." She looked down at her arm, breathing in relief to feel Asia's healing power come over her. Looking up at the two, her brow furrowed seriously. "So I'm guessing that the child we took in was the one behind all of this."

"Yeah, that bastard is a Stand user." Issei confirmed, glancing back at Rias. "I guess he was also one of the guys that attacked Jotaro-san but as a baby."

"I remember that story. Even to this day, it's unbelievable someone so young was capable of such terrible acts." Rias hummed, holding her chin in thought. "Well then, we should find a way out of here. Issei, are you connected to Sona right now?" She asked, glancing up at her servant. He didn't answer immediately, his eyes apparently glued to her figure at the moment, cheeks red. "Issei?"

"Huh?" Issei mumbled, blinking back to reality before laughing awkwardly. "O-oh, s-sorry, you just… look really good in that dress…" He muttered, turning away from her and scratching the back of his head. Rias blinked for a moment before giving a small smile as she looked down at her clothes.

"I'm sure… you'll see me wearing this again, someday." Rias giggled, her words causing Issei to blink in shock, face turning beat red. Issei opened his mouth, a gaggle of stuttering ready to come flying out. A small frown formed on her face though, her mind going back to her previous fears displayed by the nightmare. "... Issei."

"Y-yes?" Issei coughed out, refocusing despite his previous exasperation.

"I… I want you to know that… I didn't let you die that day." Rias declared, Issei blinking in surprise and confusion. "The day I made you my servant… I didn't let Raynare kill you. She had fallen under our radar and took your life before I realized she was in my territory." she explained, turning fully to the brunette with a frown. "I'm sorry that we had been deceived, but…"

"Where's this all coming from?" Issei asked, blinking in shock. "I mean-I know you wouldn't have done that, president. I don't believe that for a second!" He exclaimed with a reassuring grin. "Besides, I… I'm glad all that happened, oddly enough. I mean, I got to meet you, right?"

Rias inhaled in disbelief, a spring of happiness rising in her chest. She couldn't stop a smile of mirth spread across her lips, faintly giggling. "You really know what to say to make a girl love you…" She whispered out, though keeping her voice quiet enough so he couldn't hear.

" _ **Lali~ho! Don't think this is over, you dumb shits! Now you've made me mad!**_ "

* * *

 **XXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXX**

Akeno couldn't move an inch. Her eyes were glued to the form of her mother, lip quivering as a spring of emotions rose up within her. Looking down at her mother's chest, Akeno couldn't stop the stream of tears that flowed down her cheeks. "M-mom…" her voice was barely a whisper, her words almost catching in her throat. The resemblance between Akeno and her mother was uncanny, the older woman merely looking like a slightly aged version of herself. Even their hairstyle was the same, though that was something Akeno was going for in the first place. The only difference was the color of her hair tie.

"My dear Akeno… you're all grown up now." Her mother smiled, though it only looked morbid with the blood still trailing from her mouth down her chin. "It's such a shame though… I didn't get to watch you grow up."

"M-mother…" Akeno muttered out, taking a step forward. Alarm bells suddenly went off in her head, the Priestess of Thunder blinking as she wiped at her eyes with her forearm before raising an arm at her mom, electricity crackling in her fingers. "S-stay away! You're not my mother! You're…"

"Dead? I am. I wonder though whose fault that is…" Her mother hummed, beginning to sweep again, each movement of her arms causing more blood to spill out of her chest, the sight causing Akeno to tremble with grief, her resolve weakening by the second.

"It… it was… it was father's fault… h-he wasn't there to keep you safe…" Akeno answered without her consent, biting her bottom lip in hope to silence herself.

"Hm… perhaps…" Her mother hummed again, eyes looking up thoughtfully before they leveled at Akeno, becoming still as a rock as her smile faded to a frown and her eyes emptied of emotion. "Or perhaps… it was your fault. Your fault for being unable to keep quiet when I urged you to do so."

Akeno's eyes widened as she felt despair fill her. She knew exactly what her mother meant. That night, so long ago, Akeno and her mother hid within the confines of their home. She had only been a child, a child that was unbelievably scared without her father around to protect her or her mother. They were all alone, at the mercy of some Devil or Fallen Angel. Akeno couldn't remember which. That detail was hardly important. All she knew was that the monster took her mother's life.

 _Akeno was held tightly against her mother that night. She had woken Akeno late in the dusk, whispering desperately for her daughter to wake and come with her. She gave her daughter little time to answer of course, immediately sweeping her up in her arms and quickly carrying her off._

" _M-momma… what's going on..?" Akeno asked, only for her mother to cover her mouth and shush her._

" _Please, be quiet Akeno… just be quiet and everything will be okay…" Her mother urged, leaning her head against Akeno's. The child blinked in question before nodding. It wasn't long before they both heard the sound of something being thrown around the room, causing a loud thud._

 _Akeno let out a small yelp, but her mother quickly covered her mouth. The clatter seemed to quiet immediately after, Akeno and Shuri becoming deathly still. Slow footsteps approached their position hidden in the closet. Akeno was confused about what was going on, but she immediately felt fear fill her body. Whoever was here, it wasn't her father. With a quick pull, the door of the closet swung open, Akeno and her mother letting out a small scream of fear._

" _Oh, what's this? Baraqiel got himself a human wife, huh~?" The monster chuckled darkly. Akeno couldn't remember his face rightly as her mother shielded her from him. All she remembered was some dark figure. And the flash of a crude blade in his hand in the moonlight._

"Why couldn't you just listen to momma?" Shuri asked, her voice slightly quivering as she spoke. Akeno inhaled a breath, trying to reign in her emotions. She knew that the image in front of her was fake. That she needed to destroy this imitation before it was too late. But her emotions were clouding her judgement, guilt and grief swelling in her heart.

"M-momma, I… I didn't know…" Akeno muttered, tears starting to form at the edge of her eyes. "I-I always thought that… p-papa would be there to protect us…"

"Ever the child. Putting the blame on me for your problems." Akeno's body froze immediately after hearing a new voice echo through her old home. Slowly she cranked her head to regard the voice, her lip quivering with anger this time. Before her was the imitation of her father, a tall, burly black haired man with long black feather wings on his back. His eyes look almost closed, but through the narrow slits, an ominous red glint shined through. "You don't even take responsibility for the troubles that you caused your mother with your existence."

" **Shut up**!" Akeno roared, not hesitating to raise an arm at her father and unleash a blast of electricity. She cringed in pain, though, as she felt something stab through her side. Akeno winced in pain before looking at the source, eyes widening in despair as she saw her mother attempting to stab her through with a knife. "M-momma..?"

"He's right, you know…" her mother spoke, her voice void of emotion and her eyes empty as she started to twist the knife and cause Akeno to scream in agony. "I was cast out of my clan because of you… an abomination."

"M-momma…" Akeno whimpered painfully before forcing herself to push her away, though unable to muster the courage to actually destroy her. She felt Asia's healing ability begin to work away at her wound, but didn't have time to think on it, quickly raising her gaze up to see her father fast approaching with a dark cackle.

"She's right! Even among the Fallen Angels, you're still nothing but an ill-made creature!" Her father cruelly laughed, a ball of white energy forming in his hand before releasing it forward, a bolt of white lightning lashing out at Akeno. The raven haired Devil grimaced as she held a hand up and summoned a defensive magic circle, though it proved to be of little help as the blast knocked her back, sending her crashing through the wall of the false home and into the night sky. Akeno spread her Devil wings to stop her ascend, grinding her teeth in frustration.

"That's why… I'm glad I'm a Devil now! I don't want to bear the same wings that you do!" Akeno exclaimed in anger, electricity crackling between her fingers again as she let out a volley of lighting. She had been exhausting her powers quite a bit, but that mattered little to her right now. She wanted to wipe that man off the face of the earth, her rage unleashing ten fold.

The imitation of Akeno's father met her attack with a bolt of his own, grinning madly as he stared up at her. "You can't keep fooling yourself, child! You will **always** bare that wing! Even becoming a Devil couldn't change that!"

"Shut up!" Akeno roared again, putting more of her fury into her attack, the strength of her lightning increasing again and starting to push her father's lightning back. "I don't want to hear anything from the bastard who couldn't protect my mother!"

"Deny it all you want! You will always be an abomination born from me!" Baraqiel barked in laughter. That seemed to be the last straw for Akeno, the raven haired half breed releasing a roar as she put another ounce of energy into her attack, this time blasting her father back through her home and winning the exchange. As much as she would like to feel satisfaction in such a battle, she had little time to think on it, huffing for breath as she started to hover back to the ground.

Slowly walking back to the building, Akeno was sure to keep her guard up, now being more cautious. As she set foot through the hole in the wall, she scanned the area around her for the imitation of her mother. While she had no qualms with destroying her father, she still found reluctance in destroying the image of her mother. _She's around here somewhere… but I'll destroy 'father' first._

Akeno cranked her head up toward the crater of mess that Baraqiel had created after his crash, the imitation of her father sprawled out on broken furniture. Without another moment to waste, Akeno raised her hand, preparing to dispatch of her father.

"I wonder… what will your friends think if they found out what kind of abomination you are?"

Akeno felt dread wash over her again, the very idea disarming her for a moment. Sitting up, Baraqiel chuckled as he glared at his 'daughter'. "You act carefree as if nothing is wrong. But you've kept it a secret from them for so long, knowing that if they knew what you were, they would hate you."

"Th-that's… that's not true…" Akeno argued weakly, her resolve fading as her heart took a dive at just the thought of it. "Th-they would… they would understand if…"

"Then why hide it, hm~?" he continued, pushing up from his place on the ground. "Why hide it from-"

" **Silence**!" Akeno couldn't take it anymore, unleashing another bolt of lightning and blasting him through the front of her home this time, panting for breath after exerting such power. But she didn't care. She couldn't take anymore of the grief he was imposing on her. She couldn't answer his question, either. She didn't want to think about how they would react. How…

"Still hiding from those boys, are you?" Akeno snapped her head back and trembled when her mother appeared again, taking a step back in fear. "Afraid of what they'll say when they find out that you are one of the things that killed Issei Hyoudou?"

Akeno bit her bottom lip, trying to muster up any kind of words to retort with. "I-I… I'm not sure that I…"

"Not sure that they would still like you? You did see Josuke Higashikata's rage toward the Fallen Angels. You know exactly how he feels about them." Her mother pushed, stepping toward her daughter. Akeno took another step back but tripped on the ground, falling on her butt. "You know that if he knew… he'd look at you with those same eyes."

"N-no… he wouldn't… would he?" Akeno muttered, fear and insecurity causing her to tremble as tears started to mist her eyes.

"His best friend was killed by a Fallen Angel. If he knew what kind of abomination you were, his disgust would grow ten fold." Her father chuckled, walking back into the house with a shadow for a grin. "You know they would hate you. It's why you've elected to hide it for so long, right?"

Akeno couldn't stop herself. Without warning, she began to weep. She had been hiding it from them, Josuke especially. She didn't want to distance him because of her heritage. She couldn't stand Fallen Angels and she was one of them. How could she expect him to not feel the same way about her? Him and Issei had plenty of reason to hate Fallen Angels, and she would understand why they might come to loathe her as well. "I-I don't… I don't want to lose them as friends… I don't want them to hate me…" Akeno cried out, attempting to wipe the tears from her eyes the best she could.

"It's okay, little Akeno. Momma is here." The imitation hushed. In one hand, a knife flashed as it raised above her head. "Just let momma take away all of that pai-"

"Back off." Before she could even move to strike Akeno, a small, petite blur dashed forward and blasted their shoulder right into the imitation of Akeno's mother. The force sent the copy flying, a crash sounding through the building. Akeno's eyes widened before looking up, seeing Koneko standing where her mother once stood. The petite girl turned her gaze slightly toward the raven haired Devil and gave a small smile. "You're safe."

"K-Koneko-chan..?" Akeno muttered out, leaning forward on her hands. "Y-you're here..?"

"Not just me." Koneko declared, pointing past her. Akeno turned back, a mixture of shock and panic filling her when she saw Josuke standing there, **Crazy Diamond** rearing its fist back before delivering a devastating strike to the imitation of Baraqiel. **DORA!** Akeno watched her father sail through the previously busted hole. Josuke kept himself in a ready stance should the imitation rise back up, but cast a sideways glance back at Akeno.

"Hey, are you alright?" He asked, though Josuke returned his focus forward. "Koneko-chan, can you help her stand?"

"Yeah." Koneko quickly moved forward, taking Akeno's arm and throwing it over her shoulder and helping her to her feet.

"I-I can stand, it's okay…" Akeno dismissed meekly, shaking her head at Koneko as she stood alone. She reached up and rubbed her arm awkwardly, eyes redirected at Josuke's back. "How much… how much did you hear?"

Josuke cast a glance back, hesitating, and opened his mouth to answer, but stopped the moment he saw Baraqiel rise up again. "Shit, he's coming back! Watch out you two!" Josuke warned, his Stand hovering in front of him.

Koneko turned back to the imitation of Akeno's mother who, to her surprise, was already back on her feet and charging at Koneko. The petite Devil dodged backward and avoided a slice from her blade, widening her eyes as Shuri became more monstrous looking and extended its arm like rubber, its hands forming claws at the fingertips.

"You interrupted an important talk between parents and their child, boy." Baraqiel spat before raising his arms. "But perhaps it's good you're here. Akeno can tell you **herself**!" Baraqiel released a bolt of white lightning at Josuke, the tall teen widening his eyes before willing **Crazy Diamond** forward.

 **DORARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARARA~!** It roared, doing its best to divert the attack before it could land. Josuke cringed in pain, looking at his hands to see that the electricity, even while being diverted, was still electrocuting his hands because of his Stand's current exposure. "Sh-shit… How long can I keep this up?"

"Well, Akeno?! Aren't you going to tell him?!" Baraqiel laughed, enhancing the power in his attack to further pressure **Crazy Diamond**. "Oh, but perhaps you'd like me to expose you instead?"

"Don't listen to anything that asshole is saying, Akeno-san!" Josuke shouted back to the raven haired Devil, pushing forward despite the constant pain in his knuckles. "He's just trying to get in your head!" Akeno bit her bottom lip, trying to focus on what she should do. Looking back at Koneko, the white haired Devil was still dodging back, avoiding her 'mother's' attacks the best she could.

 _What should I do?_ Akeno was in such a state of emotional turmoil, even now she wasn't sure what to do or who to help. Her chest hurt and the despair was nigh overwhelming. Trembling where she stood, Akeno continued to freeze up. _What should I do?!_

"L-look, Akeno-san! I only heard some of the stuff at the end!" Josuke called back to the raven haired Devil, his voice slightly pained as he continued to defend with his Stand. "Whatever it is-there's no way I'd hate you for it! I don't know what you're going through, but I wouldn't hate you because of who your parents are or whatever!" Josuke tried to reassure, Akeno turning a desperate gaze his way at his words.

"Hahahaha~!" Baraqiel laughed out, grinning darkly as he watched the two. "Is that really true? Even if you knew that she's the bastard child of a Fallen Angel? Which makes her one of those hateful creatures that killed your closest friend. You can just accept that?!"

" **Shut up**!" Akeno cried out, gripping her arms in fear now that she had been exposed. She looked desperately to Josuke, watching him in dread. She wanted to disregard what the imitation was saying, to try and convince Josuke it was just a lie, but her words caught in her throat. She couldn't muster up any excuse. All she could do was wait for his response to such words.

Josuke was silent at first, sweat trailing down his brow as he was starting to be pushed back by the attack. His eyes were shaded by his hair, making it hard to read his expression at first. Finally, Josuke cranked his head back toward Akeno, a surprisingly calm and somewhat relieved look on his face as he raised a brow. "Wait, was that it? So what?"

"Huh?" Akeno muttered out, and even the imitation of Baraqiel somewhat lessened its attack. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"What does that even matter?" Josuke asked, turning his attention forward. "Akeno-san, you're my friend… why should who your parents are or what you are make a difference to me? I mean, you're all Devils, anyway! I'd say I'm pretty open minded when it comes to what my friends are." Josuke pointed out with a strained laugh, taking another step forward as he pushed against the imagined enemy's attack.

Akeno couldn't believe her ears. This entire time, all of her fear at being exposed to her friend, her crush even… it had all been for nothing. Josuke had accepted it without a second thought. Had accepted **her** despite her heritage. Despite his rather bad history with Fallen Angels, Josuke could look past it. And there was no lie in his voice, no hesitation that made it sound like he was deceiving her in some way. His words had only brought a stillness to her heart, and relieved Akeno of a great weight on her shoulders.

The Priestess of Thunder could now move with a clear mind, raising her hands and releasing bolts of lightning. One directed at each parent. Koneko and Josuke widened their eyes as their previous enemies were quickly blasted away, both free to move and looking back at Akeno.

"W-whoa… nice one, Akeno-san…" Josuke chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"You really mean it..?" Akeno asked, Josuke blinking in question for a moment. She didn't ask because she didn't believe his words. In truth, she just wanted to hear him confirm it again.

"Huh? O-oh, you mean what I said earlier?" Josuke guessed easily enough, offering a small smile as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Of course. I feel kind of bad that I found out before you could tell me yourself, but it's honestly just fine with me. I'm sure Issei would feel the same if you told him, too."

Akeno cast her eyes down in shame, a bit of guilt filling her. "I'm… sorry that I didn't-"

"Don't apologize, it's fine." Josuke immediately dismissed, causing Akeno to blink. "We've all got something personal we don't like to talk about. And it's not like I don't get why you might be afraid to tell us. I just want to make sure you know that either way, it makes no difference to me."

Akeno hesitated for a moment, her eyes beginning to mist once again. Without waiting another moment, she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Josuke's neck, pulling him into a tight hug. The tall teen was taken off guard, but didn't fight the hug. "Thank you…" She whispered into his ear, causing the tall teen to smile contently. Koneko watched with a bit of jealousy, but kept from speaking up. She got her moment of ease and comfort with Josuke before, Akeno could use it now, as well.

Releasing Josuke, Akeno gave him a bright smile of appreciation, wiping the corner of her eyes of any remaining tears. "So then, shall we get out of here?" Akeno asked. Josuke opened his mouth to reply, only for Akeno to quickly step past him, unleashing another volley of electricity. Josuke glanced at her target, watching as she blasted the imitation of her father, causing it to screech in pain before flying backward.

"D-damn… I sometimes forget how scary you can be…" Josuke laughed sheepishly, only for Akeno to turn back to him and give a wink. Before the fake of her mother could recover from its previous damage, Akeno unleashed another bolt of lightning and further charred it's body, finishing the job she started.

"She is president's queen after all." Koneko hummed, watching passively as the final dream enemy was destroyed.

"I only hesitated because of the emotions clouding my heart before. But thanks to you, I can see them for what they truly are." Akeno declared, reaching up and placing a hand over her heart before looking back at Josuke. Her cheeks flushed a light red, affection filling her eyes. "You better take responsibility for it, too." She giggled.

"Huh?" Josuke grunted out, unsure how he was supposed to respond to that.

" _ **Lali~ho! Don't think this is over, you dumb shits! Now you've made me mad!**_ "

Josuke, Akeno, and Koneko were pulled away from their conversation, snapping their heads back and forth cautiously as they looked for the source of the voice. "It's that damn kid. Looks like things aren't going quite how he was hoping." Josuke announced, summoning his Stand and preparing for the worst. "Sona-sempai! I've got Akeno-san and Koneko-chan! Can you pull us out?!" Josuke called out, hoping he could get them out of the nightmare safely.

" _ **Your friends can't help you now! I'm tired of this game of emotions, so we're going to do this old fashioned style!**_ " Mannish Boy's voice echoed around them, the world suddenly starting to shimmer around them and fall apart.

"What the hell?!" Josuke cursed, eyes darting around as even the sky above them started to tremble like a computer screen glitching. A second later, the three found themselves in a completely different area, a theme park as far as they could tell. Looking around, Josuke spotted several carnival rides with strangely construed and obscure designs, most of them twisted in a dark fashion.

"Josuke!" Quickly turning around, Josuke and the girls saw Issei not far from them standing with Rias and Kiba close behind him.

"Everyone!" Rias smiled, happy to see the three unharmed as well.

"Hey! Looks like things went well on your end, too." Josuke smiled as the six reunited, meeting in the middle of the dreamed up carnival. "But we're not out of the woods yet. We've got one final step to take before this ends…"

"Jotaro-san and Okuyasu still haven't found him, I guess. How the hell are we supposed to get out of here?" Issei clicked his tongue, turning around to face the dreamscape cautiously.

"We'll have to find the Stand itself and defeat it. But that means it has to be Josuke-kun who deals with him." Kiba suggested, though his words caused the Stand user to blink.

"Wait guys, there's actually-"

" **Lali-ho~!** Welcome to the final stage **!** "

 **(JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OST: Fight, Fight!)**

The six immediately got back on guard, turning their gaze skyward to see the source. Floating high above them, a long black coated figure hovered forth. It's arms were metallic and muscular, sticking out from under its cloak. It's face was robotic but possessed features of a sad clown design, its eyes empty and its smile haunting. On top of its head, it wore a black cleric hat. "I hope you all enjoyed the emotional roller coaster, because this is where it ends! But this only ends with all of your deaths!"

"Yeah, right! You've sucked so far at killing us! You're definitely gonna regret showing your face here, asshole!" Issei spat in irritation, pointing his dragon scale arm at the Stand. "We'll just kick your ass until Jotaro-san finds us!"

"Hihihi~! I wonder about that!" It only cackled in reply. The ground suddenly started to shake under their feet, the six having trouble to balance for a moment. Sprouting from the ground, large hands of earth formed, spikes forming in the palms as it tried to slam together on the six in one quick motion.

"Bastard!" Josuke snapped as he prepared to send **Crazy Diamond** at the hand he faced, only for Akeno to step forward first and let her demonic energy swirl, a bolt of lightning shooting forward. On the opposite side, Rias did the same, her Power of Destruction blasting outward and destroying the palm in a powerful blast of black energy. The earth collapsed all around them, the Devils and Stand user covering their eyes at the resulting dust that was kicked up from the blast.

"Wh-what the hell was that?! He can control the ground too?!" Issei barked in frustration, gripping his gauntlet as it glowed with green energy, preparing to take out another hand that might come.

"Everyone, to the skies!" Rias ordered, her Devil wings sprouting from her back. "Koneko! Carry Josuke up with you! He might be able to launch himself, but he won't be able to stay in the air!"

"Understood." Koneko nodded, dashing over to Josuke and quickly spreading her wings, hooking her arms under his before taking to the air. Josuke didn't argue or complain, knowing that it was likely the smartest move to make. The six then ascended into the air, getting as much distance as they could from the ground.

" **Lali-ho~!** You morons! I don't just control the ground, I control this entire **world**!" **Death 13** cackled maliciously, raising its scythe in the air. The clouds began to accelerate in the sky, forming a large black cloud above them.

"No…" Rias muttered as the clouds formed into a malicious face, large arms forming from it and reaching out toward the six.

"His power over dreams is terrifying…" Kiba muttered as a cold sweat trailed down his brow, trying to think of something that might best counter the oncoming cloud.

" **Lali-ho~!** It's been so long since I've had to kill people directly with my Stand!" **Death 13** cackled darkly, spinning its scythe in its hands. "Ever since I developed the power to turn fears into their own manifestations, they normally do all the work! But you guys have pissed me off for the last time! Your little sappy moments will be for nothing!"

"Below us!" Josuke called out, the six casting cautious glances down to see the earth forming below them and mirroring the size and embodiment of the large cloud. "He's trying to hit us from both sides!"

"Akeno, take care of the cloud!" Rias ordered, turning her attention to the approaching mass below. "Issei! Help me destroy the attack from below!"

"G-got it!" Issei agreed, turning his attention down to the rising earth and taking aim with his bracer. "Let's do this!"

"Wait!" Josuke called out, causing the three to cease. "Forget about all of these attacks around us!" he told them, causing his friends to pause. "In this world, the soul is exposed, right?! He was able to subdue **Crazy Diamond** with the surroundings before!"

Rias and Akeno widened their eyes at this revelation. In the real world, Stands were nigh impervious to their demonic energy. They would be able to take direct hits from their powers without much problem. "It doesn't work the same in this world…" Rias muttered before smirking confidently, turning her attention toward **Death 13**. "Destroy!" She called out, unleashing a volley of black energy from her palm.

"Huh?" The Stand grunted as it watched the energy soar toward him. "You morons! Only a Stand can hurt another St-" **Death 13** was quickly cut off as the energy just narrowly missed him, but caught part of its cheek due to his carelessness. This action caused a spurt of blood to erupt from the Stand's cheek. "W-what the hell?!"

"I knew it." Josuke smirked, watching as the Stand started to panic. The apparitions it created started to fade, his focus having been lost after it's near death. "I'm guessing up until this point, you've never had to worry about getting hurt by your victims. You never imagined that Devils might still pose a threat to you in this world."

"D-damn it! I-I can't believe this shit!" The Stand cried out in frustration, raising its arms above its head. "D-don't think because you caught me off guard once that you've won! This is still my world!" The sky started to change color again, the clouds beginning to reform.

"Man, it's just like some little kid to not give up even after he's already lost." Issei sighed carelessly, shaking his head.

"Yes. Despite his rather high intellect and developed Stand, he still suffers from childish errors." Kiba added this time with a casual chuckle.

"Wh-what?! You think this is over, you stupid shits?! It's not over until I've killed every last one of you! **Lali-ho~!** " The Stand cackled again, letting the clouds around them begin to take monstrous form. Despite this, the six teens could only stare at him without care, which aggravated him to no end.

"Little kids shouldn't be saying curse words so freely like that. I guess we'll have to take over for your parents for the moment." Josuke smirked as he pointed just above **Death 13**. "Akeno, would you do the honor?"

"The hell are you…" The Stand growled before gazing up. Its body became rigid as it saw a magic circle not too far above him, electricity crackling at the center. "... oh."

"A child as bad as you needs to be punished~." Akeno giggled mischievously, snapping her fingers. Without another moment passing, electricity shot down from the magic circle, completely electrocuting the Stand.

" **AAAAARGH!** " He cried out in pain, the lightning lingering for a moment before ceasing. Smoke rose from its body, the Stand barely holding together as it hovered above them slowly. "Y-you.. Bastards…" It started to laugh slowly, raising its arms with great strain. "Y-you…. Are gonna regret not killing me with that attack…"

"To be honest, I did want to kill you after what you just put me through." Akeno admitted with a sly smile, shrugging her shoulders. "But I think that getting justice on you directly might be a bit more fun."

"W-what's that supposed to… mean…" The Stand muttered before suddenly, the world started to crack all around him. "Oh no… no!"

* * *

 **XXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXX**

Jotaro threw the door to the clubroom open, frustration covering his expression. "We've looked everywhere for that brat. We can't find a single trace of him around. Any sign of them waking up?" Okuyasu trailed behind him, though he remained quiet, looking discouraged and somewhat tense as he entered.

"Nothing, yet. From what we could gather though, I believe that they were able to make contact with everyone within the dreamscape." Sona explained with a small sigh, looking just as frustrated as the others. "After that, things became far more cloudy. It was almost pointless to remain connected to their minds."

"At least they're all alive. Argento-san has had to heal quite a bit of damage, but nothing that was too fatal." Tsubaki added this time, glancing at the blonde Devil. She remained by her friends, looking quite exhausted. No doubt she had spent quite a bit of her powers as she kept healing their friends.

"E-everyone has been suffering in some way…" Asia muttered, some tears threatening at the edge of her eyes. "I've never seen any of them so sad before… but they've all cried throughout this nightmare…" Despite her words, a small smile crept up on her expression as she sniffled. "But in the end, they've all smiled… Issei and Josuke-nii have been helping them through it all…"

"Hey… they're smilin' now, too." Okuyasu pointed out, the group blinking as they turned their attention back to the sleeping teens. It was true, they were all smiling. But this was a more confident and triumphant expression rather than one of gentle happiness that Asia had seen up until this point.

" _ **AAAAARGH**_!"

The five of them blinked in surprise, looking up to the ceiling as they heard a child's scream above them. "Wh-what the hell was that?!" Okuyasu blurted out, raising a brow in question. Until it suddenly hit them all like a ton of bricks.

"There's no way… is he actually..?" Sona felt her jaw slacken, feeling completely stupid for having been duped by such a hiding place.

"It seems that we were... ignorant for not looking in the simplest of places." Tsubaki sighed, feeling a bit of embarrassment as well.

"What's with Stand users hiding in the shitiest of places?" Jotaro clicked his tongue, eyes shaded by his hat. He walked over to the spot where the voice sounded from, summoning **Star Platinum**.

 **ORA!**

" **AGGH!** " With one quick punch, the ceiling panel busted apart, and Mannish Boy came tumbling down with a thud. He laid on the ground for a moment, likely in short state of dizziness. "Ow… what the hell just…" He muttered, rubbing his head before looking up. Sweat immediately started to pour down his face, the first sight he was welcomed with being Jotaro, Okuyasu, Sona and Tsubaki stooping over him, a menacing aura surrounding them that was enough to make him gulp. "H-hi… I uh… think I got a little lo-"

"Come here, you little shit!" Okuyasu snapped without a second of hesitation, reaching down and grabbing the child by his collar and pulling him off the ground and in the air with no problem. Holding him in the air with one arm, Okuyasu summoned **The Hand** and got ready to punch him him with a Stand flurry.

"W-w-wait! Wait!" Mannish boy squirmed in fear against his hold. "Y-y-you wouldn't kill a little kid, w-would you?! I-I'm only twelve, you know?!" He cowered, finding any way to escape the well earned punishment.

Okuyasu only narrowed his eyes, spitting to the side in irritation. "Normally I wouldn't. but you've pissed me off so bad, I feel like I could do it without a single fuckin' regret…" He admitted, his words causing Mannish boy to tremble in his grip, Okuyasu's Stand ever presently hovering above him.

"Okuyasu-kun…" Asia muttered sympathetically, seeing the pain that was in the punk teen's expression. Jotaro, Sona and Tsubaki remained silent, none of them in any rush to stop Okuyasu from doing what he was thinking of.

"But luckily for you… I know I would regret it…" Okuyasu muttered, **The Hand** fading from existence. "So I'm not gonna kill ya or anythin'..."

Mannish Boy seemed to relax somewhat at that, his body shaking less as he took a deep breath of relief.

"But I won't mind beatin' the shit outta you."

"Hu-" Mannish Boy didn't get a chance to really process Okuyasu's sentence, a fist soon colliding with his jaw and causing him to spit out some teeth and blood. Okuyasu followed it up with a knee to his gut, causing him to buckle over in pain before the punk teen held him up with two hands by the collar.

"It's your turn to take a nap, asshole." Okuyasu huffed out before rearing his head back and smashing it into Mannish Boy's face, effectively breaking it along with some other bones in his face before letting him fall to the ground in numb pain.

"Beaten to unconsciousness and unlikely to recover from injuries. Mannish Boy, Retired." Sona said out of nowhere, causing Jotaro to glance at her curiously.

"What was that?"

"Huh?" Sona blinked before feeling her glasses fog as she blushed. "A-ah, n-nothing, ju-just when you guys would beat an enemy Stand user, the writer of the book would…" She cleared her throat and looked away from her hero in embarrassment. "Nothing…"

* * *

 **XXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXX**

Shortly after Mannish Boy's defeat, Rias and the others had woken from their forced slumber, now trying to gain their bearings on the situation. Mannish Boy was currently restrained in a magic bind, and the Speedwagon Foundation had shown up shortly after in several trucks. Jotaro was busy speaking with the lead investigator while Sona and those who were awake went on to explain the turn of events. Rias, Akeno, Koneko, and Kiba had no memories of their nightmares incurred by **Death 13** , though they all had a deep mixture of emotions left over from their experiences.

"To think that we can't remember a single thing about what happened…" Rias muttered, rubbing her head tiredly. "I feel as though I've just been through… quite the ordeal. Like I'm mentally exhausted than actually tired…"

"You guys really went through the ringer, that's for sure." Issei admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "But hey, maybe it's better that way. You guys saw some… pretty rough stuff."

"I suppose ignorance is bliss would be an accurate sentiment." Sona suggested, adjusting her glasses. "You were all quite… emotionally disturbed. It was easy enough to tell from your sleeping states."

"I'm so glad you're all okay. I hope everything you experienced won't have some sort of after effect." Asia smiled in reassurance at her master and friends.

"You know…" Kiba spoke up, bringing a wet rag to his face and washing it. "Despite the dread I felt from the nightmare… I strangely feel… reassured."

"What do you mean?" Josuke asked with a raised brow, leaning back into the couch.

"It's like… a terrible weight has been lifted from my shoulders." Kiba turned his attention to Issei and flashed him a bright grin. "I also have a feeling that it was thanks to you that I did."

"H-huh? Geez, where did that come from?" Issei laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "When you say things like that, it's kinda embarrassing…"

"You're right, Yuuto." Rias spoke this time, a gentle smile spreading across her face as she placed a hand on her chest. "I feel like I was able to clarify a deep seated fear I've felt for some time… and it's all thanks to Issei." She turned her gaze over to the brunette Devil, a smile of pure affection and love gracing her lips now. "Whatever you did Issei… thank you for it."

Issei couldn't help but blush and gulp, almost mesmerized by Rias beautiful smile. "N-no problem, president…" he muttered out, his eyes almost glued to his master's face rather than her chest for once. Asia puffed up her cheeks in jealousy, eyes darting back and forth between them but remaining silent. She could let it slide for now considering everything that happened.

Rias giggled at his reply, happy to see him blush, before turning her attention to Koneko and Akeno. "Do you two feel the same? From what it sounded like, Josuke-kun was the one who brought you both out from the brink."

Akeno and Koneko had been oddly quiet, though the latter was used to being so. Regardless, they had both seemed heavily caught in thought, not to mention staring intently at Josuke. The tall teen had noticed their gazes before but thought little of it, thinking that perhaps they were still riding some of the heavy emotions they felt from the nightmare.

"... Yes. You could say that…" Akeno suddenly spoke, her eyes still glued to Josuke. The pompadour'd teen finally took notice of her heavy gazy and raised a brow. "I feel very… freed of a powerful fear I once had… but I can't remember why…"

"It's the same for me…" Koneko suddenly spoke. Attention turning to her. Like Akeno, her eyes were fixed directly on Josuke, the tall teen rubbing his neck uncomfortably as they both stared.

"Y-yeah, you could say things got uh… pretty heavy in there…" Josuke laughed sheepishly. "But uh… you were both pretty amazing… you guys pushed through it and kicked a lot of ass."

The girls both blushed at this, unbidden by anyone, and turned their gazes away. Rias gave a knowing smile despite the fact that she had no idea what went on with them either, but could pick up on their feelings rather easily. Standing up, Rias yawned and stretched her back. "Despite the rather… uneasy rest we all went through, I feel like what we need is an actual night of good rest. Why don't we all turn in for the day? We do have school in the morning, after all."

"Agh, don't remind me…" Josuke muttered, rubbing his face tiredly. "I feel like the three hours we have left to sleep won't be enough to make me feel very **great** …"

"Same… I kinda want to just stay home tomorrow instead…" Issei muttered weakly, standing from his chair in reluctance. "Come on, let's see if Jotaro-san is done talking to those SWF guys…"

"Sona, thank you again for your aid in saving us." Rias smiled at her oldest friend, the bespectacled Devil giving a kind smile.

"Think nothing of it. I'm happy to help you when I can." Sona nodded, walking to the back of the room with Tsubaki. "Now if you'll excuse us, we need to catch up on some of our own needed sleep. We'll see you in the morning, Rias." With that, the two disappeared in a purple magic circle.

"I suppose we should all return to the manor, then." Kiba stood up, walking to the back of the room. "Koneko-chan, Akeno-sempai. Why don't we depart?"

"Y-yeah…" Akeno slowly answered, standing from her seat with the petite Devil. Josuke watched them both for a moment curiously before releasing a sigh, standing up from his seat as well.

"I'll take these four home. I'm sure that they'd prefer to make it back as fast as possible." Rias offered, walking over to Josuke and Okuyasu, marking their hands for the teleportation. Neither of them argued, both far too beat to refuse a faster way back to their beds.

"Guess we'll see you guys in a few hours." Josuke chuckled tiredly, flashing the girls a small smile.

"Bye…" Koneko muttered, looking fairly reluctant to leave. She and Akeno both looked hesitant, like they wanted to ask what he saw, what he did. But for some reason, neither could muster up the courage.

"Don't sleep in too hard. We want to see you bright and early in the morning." Akeno giggled kindly, her words sounding more in line with her usual tone. She seemed fine with leaving the story of what happened for another time. Despite this, her cheeks were a rosy pink, as if just talking with Josuke was bringing her joy.

Whatever happened, it had changed their view of Josuke. Sure, both could admit (albeit reluctantly in Koneko's case) that they had a crush on the Stand user before. But now? That feeling of attraction had increased exponentially. What they felt no longer sat comfortably in the back of their minds. They both wanted to jump forward and embrace the tall teen. They wanted to be closer to him. Frankly speaking, they had developed very strong feelings for Josuke. Neither could answer why, but it almost didn't matter now. What he had done for them in the dream world, it stuck deep within their hearts.

After a moment, the three Devils disappeared in a flash of red, departing from the room. Josuke released a small sigh of relief, glad he didn't have to answer some uncomfortable questions at the moment. That is, until he saw the faces of his friends around him, all eyes watching him expectantly. "Wh-what?"

"Oh, nothing~. I think things are going to be rather interesting soon, though." Rias giggled as the magic circle formed underneath them. Deciding to be more open with her own feelings, Rias leaned forward and wrapped around Issei's arm and causing the brunette to blush.

"P-president!" Asia complained, quickly wrapping around his other arm indignantly.

"W-wait, what do you mean by that?" Josuke gulped, her vague words filling him with a bit of anxiety.

"Ah, don't worry about it! I think she's just sayin' you're a lucky bastard!" Okuyasu laughed, slapping his back with a dumb grin on his face. Before the tall teen could argue, the magic circle covered the five in a bright light before whisking them back home.

* * *

 **XXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXX**

" _Welcome to Kuoh, part of prefecture M. Please enjoy your stay."_

"We've finally arrived~!" A bouncy girl exclaimed as she hopped through the terminal of Kuoh's airport. She looked to be about the age of sixteen or seventeen. She had long orange hair kept up in two twin tails that went down to her waist. She had fair skin and violet purple eyes that shined with excitement. She dragged a suitcase close behind her and was sporting a cloak over her shoulders.

"You seem pretty excited." The bouncy girl turned a grin back to her companion, a girl with shoulder length blue hair, a bang in the front a light green in contrast to that. She had hazel eyes and a more stoic expression rather than the boisterous one that the first girl skipped around with. Similarly to her companion, she wore a large cloak that covered the majority of her body. "This was your hometown, right?"

"Yup! It's been so long, I wonder if I'll recognize anything!" The orange haired girl giggled, casting her gaze around the airport. "There's so many places we can go to… hey, why don't we make our first stop at a restaraunt! I hope it's still there, I used to go to it a lot as a kid!"

"No. We're heading to the hotel first." The two looked further down the aisle of the airport to see their third companion. This time it was a male who spoke, his voice deep and commanding. Like the girls, he similarly wore a cloak. His jet black hair was styled in a chin length straight cut with a braid up the scalp that was pinned back with two gold pins. "I want us to settle in for the night rather than go around wasting money."

"Aw, come on~! We can have a little free time, right? Our meeting isn't for another day!" The bubbly orange haired complained, giving a large pouty lip. Despite her efforts, the boy seemed wholly unimpressed.

"We will have more free time tomorrow. But I want to get situated before we make any unnecessary expenditures. I will also be budgeting how much you and Xenovia will be allowed to spend, Irina."

"Wh-what?! Why?!" Irina complained, her jaw agape at such an idea.

"Because, last time we went on a mission and I gave you both free reign, you spent all of our money in one place." The black haired teen easily retorted, narrowing his eyes at the twin tailed girl. "You spent it on unnecessary souvenirs, and Xenovia didn't bother to try and stop you."

"Oh come on! We weren't that bad, were we?" Irina complained, glancing back at the blue haired girl for reinforcement.

"Actually, he's probably right. I'm not sure what the proper amount is when it comes to spending. He should probably be in charge of it." Xenovia declared, her words striking at Irina's heart.

"H-hey! You're supposed to be on my side!" She complained, swinging her arms around childishly.

"I'm doing this for your own good and the good of the mission. We don't know how long we're going to be here, so we need to make sure we have enough for food and our hotel. Understood?" He reaffirmed, his voice leaving little room for argument.

"Yes, sir." Xenovia agreed, apparently rather trusting of his judgement on the situation.

Irina puffed out her lips indignantly, but gave a reluctant nod. "Okay… you're the boss, I guess…"

"Good. Now come on. We're going to be staying at Kuoh Grand Hotel. Our reservations are set for fifteen minutes from now." He declared, quickly flicking his wrist to look at a watch. He walked forward to catch a cab for them, Xenovia following close behind without a word.

"Gosh, you're such a buzzkill sometimes, Bruno…" Irina muttered before following after with slumped shoulders.

 **To be continued…**

 **Thanks goes to my beta nitewind for his quick work on the chapter!**

 **So, finally got this chapter out and was it a doozy! Now, I had originally planned for this arc to end this chapter but didn't realize exactly how much would go into it, thus creating a much longer chapter. I really want to get started on the next arc of the story and so I decided to get this arc done with. I do apologize though if certain parts seem a bit rushed, it's just… certain things have been happening in my life and I might have lost focus in certain areas. Hopefully, though, this chapter was still decent enough to end the arc with.**

 **One thing I did want to establish in this chapter was Rias and Issei. For one, I've noticed that in a LOT of fanfiction I've read, it seems to me that many people think that Rias actually let Issei die so that she could make him his servant. While I do understand why people might think that, it's inaccurate. Rias really didn't let him die like that, at least there's no proof in story that she ever did, and I like to think that she's honestly not that selfish. But so many people have written it that way that I'm afraid that people actually think it's canon when it's not. Rias did not let him die. It was just a bad turn of events for him.**

 **Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed that chapter! Things between Josuke and the girls are going to start to change quite a bit as I'm sure you might have noticed, and a certain pair of Holy Sword users have arrived… with a new but familiar face among them. We'll see what this means for the story to come, now won't we? Have a good one and please leave me a review, a follow and a favorite! Thank you!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: I own neither Highschool DxD or JoJo's Bizarre Adventure**

Chapter 24

Josuke mumbled several incoherent sounds as he worked away at his hair. It was being a little fussier than usual, the teen having combed several stray strands over and over again. Josuke would blame his lack of sleep for this. The incident with Mannish Boy had only occurred the day before yesterday and had left him with little sleep the previous night. He had fallen in and out of sleep in class and barely remained awake when he arrived at the club. So instead of sticking around, he called it a day early and left. The others didn't seem to mind too much, though he was too tired to notice if anyone protested. He was surprised Issei was in such good shape. But then again, his best friend was a Devil rather than a human.

"Geez, that whole mess really took it out of me…" Josuke muttered bitterly, staring at the mess that was his hair in the mirror. Currently he was only in a yellow tank top that he wore under his school jacket and the baggy uniform pants.

 ***ding dong***

Josuke blinked when he heard the doorbell ring, grabbing his cell phone and looking at the time. It was still barely seven-ten in the morning. "What the heck? They usually don't come by for another twenty minutes…" Josuke mumbled with a sigh, going back to attempt taming his hair.

"Josuke, get that, will you? I'm making breakfast." The tall teen stiffened when he heard his mom call out, grumbling as he set down his toothbrush, electing to only bring a comb with him to the door. He didn't bother putting anything on top of his current state, not seeing a point considering it was likely Issei and the others.

"You guys are here early. What's-" Josuke began as he opened the front door of his house, tiredly rubbing his eyes before looking out. He immediately froze, soon realizing that it wasn't Issei or Okuyasu. Instead, it was Akeno and Koneko, the former standing there with a bright smile while Koneko seemed more shy, standing a meter away from Akeno and only looking at Josuke from the side. "H-huh?"

"Hello, Josuke-kun~!" Akeno greeted with a giggle, hands crossed behind her back. "Sorry if we're a bit early. We weren't sure exactly what time you usually meet up with Issei and Rias."

Josuke blinked for a moment, looking between the girls silently before realizing the state he was currently in. He looked like a mess compared to what he usually wore. Flustering up, Josuke stuttered his response. "Wh-wha-what are you two doing here so early for?! I-I mean not in a bad way-just-can you give me a sec to get ready?"

"Of course! Though I have to say, I hadn't realized how muscular you really were under that uniform." Akeno giggled, her eyes lingering on his well toned arms and shoulders. Through his tank top, you could tell that he was quite toned across his body as well. Koneko had been silent still, but her cheeks became rosy as she took note of his body.

"H-hey, st-stop staring!" Josuke complained shyly, covering his upper body with his arms before quickly closing the door. Not wanting to make them wait long, Josuke ran to his room and started to get fully dressed. _Why are they here?! They totally caught me off guard!_ Josuke mentally groused, combing his hair as fast as possible with one arm while he lamely attempted to pull his school jacket on.

"A-are you sure this was a good idea...?" Koneko muttered quietly, glancing up at Akeno questioningly.

"Of course! If Asia and Rias have decided to do so, why shouldn't we join them?" Akeno dismissed with a sweet smile. "Next time, we'll sort out the times better. Bu~t, if you don't wish to see Josuke-kun early with me, I suppose you could-"

"No. I'll come." Koneko immediately cut in, surprising herself with how fast she had disregarded Akeno's suggestion. She blushed a bit brighter, turning away from Akeno in embarrassment.

"I figured you might." Akeno giggled regardless, smiling at the petite Devil before turning back to the door patiently. She wasn't a fool. She could tell Koneko's feelings for Josuke were just as real as her own. Instead of trying to force her way ahead of her, though, Akeno decided to be fair. Koneko would obviously be much more reserved in her approach, so she thought that perhaps she needed some pushing.

Why Akeno would decide to help her rival, she didn't know. Perhaps she just found it fun. Or perhaps, she would like for the both of them to be happy.

Josuke came back only a minute later, huffing for breath like he'd been running a marathon. "S-sorry for the wait… give me a minute…" Josuke muttered, trying to steady his breathing as he stood up straight.

"It's alright. We did take you off guard by coming so early." Akeno dismissed, shaking her head.

"Speaking of which, what's up? You guys don't normally come here before school." Josuke asked, raising a brow curiously.

"Well, we thought that starting today, we might join you all in the morning. Rias and Asia already have, so it seems appropriate that we might become part of it, as well." Akeno explained, giving a well planned excuse for their interest. Koneko supported this with a small nod, though she kept her stance sideways of Josuke.

"I-isn't that kind of an inconvenience for you?" Josuke asked curiously, though in all fairness, he wasn't sure exactly where the girls lived with Kiba.

"It's no trouble at all, really. We just decided that it might be nicer to walk together with the entire group." Akeno dismissed with a gentle smile before adopting a more shy look, trying to look apologetic. "Of course… if it's imposing, maybe we won't…" Koneko tensed at Akeno's bluff, but Josuke immediately fell for it, slumping his shoulders in guilt.

"N-no, it's fine! I was just taken by surprise, is all…" Josuke tried to reassure them, immediately putting a bright smile on Akeno's face. Koneko breathed out in relief, glad that Akeno's bluff worked out. "D-do you two wanna come in, then? We can wait for the others to come by."

"Sure, that sounds delightful! Come on, Koneko-chan." Akeno urged, looking back at the white haired girl. Josuke turned around to let them in before suddenly stopping, causing the girls to blink in question. He suddenly closed the door, leaving the three of them outside.

"M-maybe we could go to Issei's house while we wait? That might be better!" Josuke suddenly suggested, a bit of sweat rolling down his brow nervously as he spoke strangely loud.

"Huh? What's wrong with letting us in?" Akeno asked, batting her eyelashes innocently.

"Well, you see…" Josuke muttered, glancing back at his door cautiously before releasing a sigh. "I don't want my mom to meet you both and get some weird ideas in her head…"

"I'm hurt, Josuke-kun! Are you ashamed to be seen with us?" Akeno gasped dramatically, her tone conveying a false bit of offense.

"N-no, nothing like that! It's just that… I've never brought girls in the house like this and… my mom loves to tease me over that kinda crap…" Josuke explained, scratching the back of his neck nervously.

"What about Asia and president?" Koneko asked curiously, tilting her head.

"Those two are different. They always come over with Issei and Okuyasu, usually." Josuke said, grumbling tiredly. "L-let me just go back in and prepare her so that she doesn't embarrass-"

"Josuke, who are you keeping at the door?!" Josuke jumped in fright when his front door opened, recoiling away from it as his mother came into view. "If it's Issei and the others, then-" Tomoko suddenly froze, her eyes falling on Koneko and Akeno, widening in shock.

"H-hey, mom. These are my friends from our club at school." Josuke shakily introduced, knowing that it was now too late to save himself now from any embarrassment.

"Good morning, Higashikata-san. I'm Akeno Himejima, a third year. It's a pleasure to meet you." Akeno introduced first, giving a bow in greeting.

"I'm Koneko Toujou, p-please take care of us…" Koneko said, her cheeks becoming rosy now that she was meeting Josuke's mother.

Tomoko stared at both girls for a moment longer before a large grin spread across her lips. "Oh my goodness, you girls are completely gorgeous!" Tomoko giggled, nudging her son in the side with her elbow. "First Issei brings Asia and Rias, and now you bring two more young ladies? I knew you were popular at school, but-"

"Mom, please don't…" Josuke mumbled dejectedly, hiding his face in his hand from the girls.

"This boy. He always acts like some sort of tough guy, but he's really just a big, shy softie." Tomoko teased, sharing a kind hearted grin with Akeno and Koneko, the former of which giggled at his mother's antics.

"Josuke-kun has many sides to him as we've come to learn. He's certainly made our club more interesting since he joined." Akeno said, folding her arms under her large breasts.

"He's a really good friend…" Koneko added, her own smile creeping up. It seemed that Tomoko's chipper mood was becoming infectious. She was also quite appreciative of the compliments she was given.

"Yeah, well, I know he can be a handful sometimes, especially when it comes to his hair. But thank you both for taking care of my son." Tomoko said, offering a bow of appreciation.

"It's really no trouble at all. I believe I speak for both of us when I say it's been our pleasure to have him around." Akeno giggled, her words causing Josuke to look away in embarrassment.

"Come on in, you two! You've still got some time until the others get here, so why don't I share some of the embarrassing things I know about my son before they get here?" Tomoko offered, stepping back to the side and letting them in.

"M-mom!" Josuke complained, only earning an eye roll in response from her.

"That sounds quite lovely. Thank you for having us~!" Akeno unashamedly walked in, Koneko not far behind her.

"Don't just stand there. Come and join us, Josuke. After you make them something to drink." Tomoko ushered her son, turning her back to him as she followed after the two Devils inside. The tall teen felt his eye twitch as he lingered at the door, rubbing his face tiredly.

"Just great…"

* * *

Josuke wasn't dense. He could see the change in attitude from Akeno and Koneko toward him. It was hard to pick it up the previous day because of his exhaustion, but now that he was completely awake, he noticed the small changes both girls made when it came to him. Little things starting with coming to his house in the morning, Akeno acting oddly more flirtatious than usual, Koneko finding him during lunch and wanting to eat together. Currently, and the most obvious, was sitting rather close to him. Josuke thought if he sat on the two person couch of the clubroom in the middle, he might take up too much space for anyone to think of joining him.

Instead, Akeno and Koneko decided to squeeze in at each side, the size of the couch making their distance between one another nonexistent. While Koneko was obviously nervous in doing so, she seemingly held strong, apparently having no qualms with scooting into his side. Akeno on the other hand didn't bother with subtlety, giggling as she not so inconspicuously leaned on Josuke, her "assets" brushing against his arm. To say that this made Josuke nervous would be an understatement.

 _M-man, what's been up with these two?! They're both acting weird!_ Josuke internally screamed, hunching forward in his seat so that the girls weren't pressed up directly to his sides. He guessed that it had something to do with what went on in the dream world, but wasn't sure how since neither could remember exactly what went on.

"You all seem quite comfortable." Rias gave a knowing look with a teasing smile that made Josuke's eye twitch. Looking around at the others, Asia and Okuyasu were watching them curiously while Issei looked like he was holding back a laugh. Kiba, as usual, just watched with his usual curt smile, but a small amount of amusement could be seen behind the expression.

"I believe I'm quite comfy." Akeno giggled, somehow wiggling closer to Josuke's hip and making him tense up nervously.

"Same…" Koneko muttered, doing her best not to seem flustered by the proximity she was in with Josuke.

"Uh… I… have no comment…" Josuke muttered, sweat dripping down his chin.

"What's wrong, Josuke-kun? Are we making you uncomfortable?" Akeno asked with feigned innocence, leaning forward and on his shoulder so that her breast were pressing up against his shoulder.

"W-well… I uh…" Josuke muttered, sweat only pouring faster as he struggled not to look back at the very close Akeno.

"Stop teasing him so much." Koneko spoke up from the side, a jealous glint in her eyes. For good reason, as she didn't have the pillows to replicate such an action.

"Well, it's alright. We're going to depart for Issei's home anyway. In fact, we should get going." Rias giggled, her words bringing some ease to Josuke as he quickly stood from his seat. Akeno and Koneko silently pouted at this, the former fallen angel half tempted to shock Josuke for being so quick to run away.

"Wait, we're going to my house?" Issei blinked in question, surprised that Rias decided on such an idea.

"That's right. Your mother invited us over for snacks after school, so I thought that we might as well hold our meeting at home." Rias explained, looking around at the club. "Once we're done, you can all depart for your contracts from there."

"Yes, president." Her servants responded, each one standing from their seats. As the group got ready to leave though, a knock came at the clubroom door. Blinking in question, Rias spoke up first. "Come in."

The door slowly opened, revealing a punk looking girl walking in. Kiba widened his eyes, recognition covering his face. "Yaoyorozu-san!"

"I told you not to call me that, didn't I, Knight-san?" Hazel sighed, shaking her head. "Call me Yoyo or Hazel."

"Whoa, a punkish beauty!" Issei blurted out in admiration, eyes becoming large as he blew air out of his nose. He was immediately reigned back in as Rias grabbed his collar and tugged him back, a smile on her face despite the tick mark on her forehead.

"You shouldn't be so forward when we get new guests, Issei." She warned him in a sickly sweet tone, the brunette laughing uneasily as he shrank in her grip. Having put Issei in his place, Rias turned to Yuuto. "Is she a friend of yours?"

"We… briefly met the other day." Kiba admitted, rubbing his neck sheepishly as he turned back to Hazel. "What are you doing here?"

"I've been told that I should probably join a club. Out of the ones at this school, this one sounded the most bizarre. But I also heard a lot of big names in the school also go to this club. Thought I'd check it out for myself." Hazel admitted, eyes glancing around the room before a small smirk worked its way onto her lips. "A couple cute guys… some hot girls. I can see why you joined, Knight-san. No wonder you're so abstinent with the your fan girls. You've got some real knockout beauties in this club."

"You say that, but Kiba's always actin' like they're his sisters or somethin'." Okuyasu laughed, wrapping an arm around Kiba's neck. "This guy's way too stiff."

"No kidding. Maybe I could help with that." Hazel giggled, licking her lips suggestively and making Okuyasu blush. Hazel, while punkish in style, was very attractive. Her voice, while riddled with slang, was melodious in its own right. "But before all that, would you guys let me join the club?"

"I apologize, but we're not accepting new members at the moment." Rias dismissed. She had turned down quite a few other students before who asked to get into the club. Not to mention she wasn't a fan of the way that Issei eyed her. "We normally end up picking our newest members, anyway."

"Ah, I see. That's a real shame. Thought it might be fun to try and make pals with all the hotties of the school." Hazel sighed, though she didn't sound particularly disappointed. "Guess that's that. But before I go…" Hazel's gaze scanned around the room before landing on Josuke, the tall teen having remained silent through the conversation and standing passively off to the side. Hazel took a step closer to him, her eyes narrowing slyly. "You're pretty cute. Not to mention tall. Wanna have some fun with me?"

"Huh?" Josuke blinked in shock, her aggressive words catching him off guard. "I-I don't-"

"I apologize, but I believe you're making Josuke-kun uncomfortable." Akeno suddenly stepped in, a sickly sweet smile on her face while a dark aura surrounded her.

"Back off." Koneko spoke up, joining Akeno as the two girls took protective stances in front of Josuke from Hazel. Josuke suddenly felt uncomfortable, like he had just been claimed as territory by two lionesses. Hazel raised a brow at the two before letting out a giggle, shrugging carelessly.

"I guess I should be careful what tree I bark up, huh? Never know who's made a nest there." Hazel said, her tone conveying amusement. Turning around, she moved for the door to leave. "Well, thanks for havin' me. Hope to see you all around." She called out with a wave before looking over her shoulder and giving Josuke a small wink. Akeno and Koneko narrowed their eyes, but Hazel seemed to ignore them, turning back around and closing the door.

"What was up with that chick? She was pretty damn ballsy… and hot…" Okuyasu muttered, scratching the top of his head dumbly.

"She is quite an oddity, but I don't think she means any harm." Kiba shrugged, adopting a more gentle smile. "But since that is resolved, we should get going."

"Yes. We wouldn't want another inconvenience to appear. Right, Josuke-kun?" Akeno giggled, turning to the tall teen with an aura of irritation that caused him to sweat.

"Wh-what? Why are you looking at me like that?" Josuke mumbled, holding his hands up shakily in surrender.

"Stay away from that girl." Koneko huffed, turning her back to him before stomping forward to the others. Josuke felt a chill run up his spine from that warning, laughing uneasily as he wasn't sure exactly what to say or do in response.

* * *

"Now then, let's begin our usual meeting."

Having finally departed for Issei's house, the teens took their briefing up to Issei's room. Despite the number of occupants, each member found a seat on the ground or on Issei's bed. Josuke claimed the single computer chair that Issei had in his room, silently thankful it was there so that he wouldn't be surrounded so easily by Koneko and Akeno. It was obvious that they were slightly annoyed that he found an escape, but quickly moved on to listen to their master speak.

"Let's start with the monthly count of contracts. Akeno has the highest with eleven. Koneko in second with ten. Yuuto in third with eight. And with Rohan's contract, Asia was able to increase her total to four." Rias explained, smiling at her servants, specifically Asia, as she sipped on a cup of tea.

"That's quite good, Asia! Especially for a beginner." Akeno complimented, giving a kind smile.

"Not bad, newbie." Koneko added with a small smirk at the edge of her mouth.

"You're becoming quite the fine Devil, Asia." Yuuto added with a chuckle.

"Oh, I don't know about all that… thank you everyone…" Asia laughed quietly, rubbing the back of her neck bashfully as she looked at the ground.

"That's great, Asia! I'm proud of you!" Issei praised, rubbing her shoulder gently.

"I don't really get the whole contract thing, but good job!" Okuyasu laughed, giving her a thumbs up.

"I guess contracting with that weird mangaka paid off, after all." Josuke chuckled, grinning down at Asia before looking up at Rias. "So, how many does Issei have now?"

Issei immediately tensed, knowing the answer for himself. Rias merely smiled, raising her cup back to her lips again. "Zero." She calmly said, the word immediately causing Issei to buckle over in shame.

"Wait, still?!" Josuke and Okuyasu blurted out, the two puckering their lips as they glanced at Issei in withheld amusement. The brunette bit his bottom lip, glancing at the two in annoyance.

"You two better not…" Josuke and Okuyasu glanced back at one another and did their best to hold it. For all of two seconds. Then bursting out in laughter, their hooting filling the room as they both reached over and grabbed Issei's shoulder, shaking him around. "You guys are dicks!"

"Come now, you two. Give Issei a little break." Rias chuckled, amused by their the humor they found in making fun of Issei. "But do try to work harder this month, Issei. You won't be able to become a high ranking Devil if you don't make a lot of contracts."

"Yes, president…" Issei mumbled as he pushed Josuke and Okuyasu away from him in annoyance. "I know. This month, I'll aim for the most contracts!" He declared in determination.

"Hey~!" Before the meeting could continue, the group looked to the door to see Issei's mom enter, a plate of cookies in her hands. "Sorry if I'm intruding on your club meeting, but I thought you all could use some snacks!"

"Thank you, mother. It's very much appreciated." Rias smiled up at the matriarch of the household, taking the plate from Issei's mother gently.

"Yo, Hyoudou-san. How are things with your two new houseguests?" Josuke asked with a kind smile. He always like Issei's parents, even when they acted a bit overdramatic when it came to their son. Then again, Issei's hobby wasn't particularly encouraging for any parents to see in their child.

"Oh, Asia and Rias have been amazing to have around!" Issei's mother declared, giving a bright grin toward both girls. "I couldn't ask for any better suitors for my son."

"M-mom~!" Issei whined, cheeks flaring up in embarrassment.

"S-suitors?! G-goodness…" Asia mumbled bashfully, the idea making her extremely happy to hear.

"Why thank you, mother. I'm so happy to be in your care." Rias giggled, obviously pleased with the arrangement they had made.

"I can't believe his parents are totally cool with it…" Okuyasu muttered in shock, scratching the side of his head.

"It can't be helped. I don't think they had much hope in him ever finding a wife, before." Josuke whispered to the punk. The thought had more than once crossed his own mind, after all.

"Oh, and to add to the fun, I brought these~!" Issei's mother grinned as she held up several large photo albums for the group to see, Issei immediately paling in realization.

"Wh-what?! N-no, please!" Issei whined desperately, only for his mother to ignore him as she walked to the bed and sat next to Rias and opened up a photo album.

"Look, here's one of his toddler years. We caught him in the kitchen all naked, drinking milk. He was so cute~!" Issei's mother giggled, Rias and Asia widening their eyes as they inspected the photo. As she said, a photo of a bare-naked toddler Issei was the first picture to be seen.

"So cute~!" Asia cooed in adoration, her eyes shining as she looked at the picture. "Little Issei is so adorable!"

"Y-you're right! I share your enthusiasm for little Issei as well, Asia!" Rias proclaimed, a twinkle in her eyes. "A-and you have more pictures of little Issei?!" Rias asked, her eyes looking up at the Hyoudou matriarch hopefully.

"Oh, we've got plenty more where that came from!" Issei's mother giggled, flipping the pages and making the girls swoon again.

"This is the worst…" Issei grumbled miserably, the embarrassment tearing apart his will.

"Yeah, you have it pretty rough, huh?" Josuke chuckled, reaching forward and patting his shoulder in reassurance.

"Oh, don't act like you're any safer, Josuke." Issei's mother smirked deviously, causing the tall teen to blink. Moving around the stack of albums, she grabbed one from the bottom labeled 'best friends forever!' on the cover. "We've got an entire album dedicated to you and Issei together since your childhood."

Koneko and Akeno immediately perked up, the tall teen sweating nervously. "O-oh, really..?" Josuke laughed with great strain, weakly reaching out to take it. "M-mind if I-"

"I'll take it~!" Akeno immediately snatched the book, Josuke falling over in his chair and face first into the ground. "Come, Koneko-chan. Take a look with me."

"Okay." Koneko nodded, scooting over next to the busty Devil as they flipped open the book. Both gasped in surprise, eyes widening as they saw the first picture. It was of Issei and Josuke standing together, arms over each other's shoulders, grinning at the camera despite some obvious damage like they'd been in a fight.

"Ara ara, little Josuke-kun is so cute~!" Akeno nearly squealed, inspecting the image. "I've always thought your hair made you look manlier, but to see it on you as a child makes you look so precious!"

"Little Jojo…" Koneko muttered, her cheeks red as her eyes remained fixed on the picture.

"Oh, my. I'm quite curious to see them both as children now, too." Kiba chuckled, reaching forward and grabbing one of the spare albums that Issei's mom had brought.

"Oh, lemme look! I wanna get some dirt on these guys for future reference." Okuyasu laughed mischievously, huddling up next to Kiba as they looked through the album together.

"You're right. This is the worst…" Josuke muttered from the ground, his words slightly muffled by the rug.

"Not so funny now, huh?" Issei mumbled, unable to find any enjoyment in Josuke's pain though.

"Oh~! Rias, Asia! Here's a picture of the two in a bath together!" Akeno called out, Koneko's eyes especially plastered to the pages this time. Rias and Asia gasped again, quickly crawling over to take a look for themselves. Immediately, both girls swooned, hands on their cheeks as they saw the upper halves of Issei and Josuke sitting in the bath together, the boys splashing one another. "They're so cute~!"

"Kill me… end it…" Josuke begged from the ground, still sprawled out after falling. He reached over and grabbing Okuyasu's sleeve. "Use your Stand to erase my head."

"Double that order." Issei grumbled in agreement, the overwhelming embarrassment causing him to slump over.

"You guys are so dramatic." Okuyasu laughed, shaking his head. Looking back at the photo album, his grin became gentle, his eyes softening. "Must be nice to have stuff like this around to look at, huh?"

Issei opened his mouth to disregard before catching himself, remembering the situation that Okuyasu was in. Heck, that Kiba was in. Looking at the blond knight, Issei could see the same interest in his eyes as he scanned through the photos. Memories of the dream world and Kiba's nightmares flashed through his mind, the brunette feeling more apologetic rather than embarrassed. _These guys have had it rough, huh?_

Josuke seemed to understand as well, not bothering to comment on the subject as he sat back up. "Alright, let me at least see what you guys are looking at to make sure you don't grab one to throw in our faces." Josuke sighed, kneeling close to Okuyasu and Kiba and peering over their shoulders at the pictures. Kiba soon flipped to the next page, landing on a picture of the two boys and a third person. Between them was a sheathed sword and shield leaning against the wall. No one noticed, but Kiba tensed ever so slightly that it was almost unnoticeable.

"Huh? Who's that?" Okuyasu asked, glancing at the picture curiously. Issei and Josuke peered closer for a better look, the two widening their eyes in recognition.

"Oh, that's a kid who used to live near us, too. He was probably one of our few other friends. That was until he moved overseas with his parents." Issei explained, scratching the side of his head in thought. "What was his name again..?"

"Huh? You don't remember, Issei?" Josuke raised a brow in surprise. "That was Iri-i-I mean-uh Sh-Shidou-chan! Shidou-chan, that's it." he quickly corrected, seeming a bit tense as he did so as he gave a sheepish laugh.

"Oh, yeah! You're right, huh?" Issei nodded in agreement, the name suddenly rousing some older memories. "I don't think I learned his full name, though…"

"O-oh yeah? Strange…" Josuke laughed again, a bit of sweat running down his forehead as he forced a smile.

Issei raised a brow in question, not missing the fact that Josuke was acting a bit strange on the subject. He opened his mouth to question him, but soon noticed that Kiba was transfixed with the picture. "Hey. Everything okay?"

"... Yes. I just happened to notice something interesting." Kiba explained, pressing his index finger against the sword in the picture. "Do you know what that is in the picture?"

"A fancy prop?" Okuyasu blinked, taking a closer look for himself.

"A holy sword." Kiba elaborated, his voice quiet but stern. "It seems that these kinds of things really do happen…"

"What do you mean?" Issei asked, blinking in question.

"Oi, oi. Does this have to do with what I think it is?" Okuyasu asked, his own voice quiet but serious as he narrowed his eyes. Kiba looked at him from the side, giving a small nod. Closing the book, Kiba put on a mask of a smile, holding the book out to Issei for him to take.

"You have quite a nice album to look back on. Thank you, Issei-kun." Kiba declared, acting as if nothing was wrong. Issei raised a brow, hesitantly taking the album from his hand, watching as Kiba turned back to the girls in the room and smiled as usual before pulling out his phone. Again, the memories of the nightmare Kiba suffered raced through his mind. The corpses that haunted Kiba. The pain in his eyes. _Does this have something to do with that?_

"Well… as much as I'd like to spend all day staring at these pictures, I believe we have some club duties to get to." Rias sighed in resignation, exhibiting her self-control to get back on track. "Thank you for showing us the photo albums, mother. I'll be sure to look at them again."

"No problem! Oh, and maybe next time you all come over, I'll have Tomoko-chan bring some of her photo albums! She has some great ones of Josuke and Issei, as well!" Issei's mother declared, her words causing Josuke to almost fall over again.

"Please don't…" Josuke muttered, a cloud forming above his head. With that, Issei's mother left the group alone, Rias now standing from her seat and clapping her hands together.

"Alright, everyone. Please head out for your assigned contracts. Please do your best to form one with your new customer, Issei." Rias announced, looking to her pawn with the last statement.

"Y-yes, president!"

"I guess we'll see you later, Josuke-kun!" Akeno giggled, smiling at the tall teen as she rose from the ground with the others.

"Later, Jojo." Koneko waved shyly, walking out with Akeno and Asia.

Josuke, Issei, and Okuyasu had waited for the girls to stand before starting to get up, though Kiba lingered in his seat. Before any of the three could comment, chimes from their cell phones rang out, each one blinking at the timing of the text before reaching in to fish out their phones.

"Who is textin' me right…" Okuyasu muttered before pausing, seeing that the contact was actually Kiba. The same could be said for Issei and Josuke, both raising a brow before looking at the blond knight.

"Today was quite a bit of fun. Thank you again for having us over." Kiba said, giving the three a smile before heading for the door. "Well, I'll see you all later, okay?"

"Y-yeah…" Okuyasu muttered, looking back down at his phone with the other three. It seems that Kiba had sent out a mass text, putting them into a group chat. At the same time, the three teens opened their messengers, widening their eyes as they saw the message.

 _Kiba: Meet me after our contracts are completed. I have something important to discuss._

* * *

Kuoh town had many abandoned factories and buildings on the outer edge. When development was at an all-time high, people started to congregate toward the center of town rather than the outer rim. Production in the city became less, and the factories that remained were shut down and abandoned. One of such factories had become a comfortable hiding spot for a deformed Stray Devil. It had departed from her master some time ago, making its way to Kuoh town in hope of finding a quick snack in one of the locals. It knew that the Gremory family would likely find her if she lingered too long, but her hunger was desperate. She needed to feed desperately. She would chew through any of the Gremory servants that got in her way if they came looking for her.

Much to her surprise, though, it wasn't the Gremory household that found her first.

The Stray Devil hid in the shadows of the rusted machines of the factory, hoping to catch its breath. She had been on the run since their arrival, unable to exploit any openings that she could see on the three. They had taken her completely by surprise. _Damn it, what the hell are some church flunkies doing in Gremory territory?!_

"Oh, man~! She slipped away!" She heard a whiny echo, daring to peer out from behind the machine just an inch. She could see the three close to the center of the factory, their silhouettes visible in the moonlight.

"She couldn't have gotten far. I doubt that she's taken her eyes off of us." A second more monotone girl spoke, a large body length and width sword hanging casually in one hand.

"Don't drop your guard, either of you. One false move and she could deal a serious blow." The third, male, silhouette spoke, his voice carrying authority. "We'll split up and search the factory. She has the upper hand at stealth, but it's doubtful she'll risk rushing at possessors of holy swords."

"Huh~? Is it really safe for us to split up, though? Don't you think staying together would be smarter?" The whiny voice cried out in protest.

"It's doubtful that she'll attack the three of us at once. We have the number and power advantage. Splitting up will at least raise the chance of her coming out. I trust in both of your abilities to be able to handle the situation should she attack." The male disregarded, walking ahead of the three.

"He's right. Be careful, Irina. Call for help if you encounter her." The serious one encouraged, walking in a separate direction.

"H-hey, wai~t~!" Irina protested, only to be ignored by her colleagues. She grumbled some incoherent sounds, turning her backs to the others and walking forward stubbornly. "Fine, leave me then. See if I care…"

 _I've found my meal of the night, teehee~!_ The Stray cackled silently, transforming its body into something more monstrous, sprouting extra limbs and crawling along the wall like a spider. She stalked after Irina silently, watching her movements closely, waiting for the girl to turn her back to her.

"Stupid Bruno. Stupid Xenovia. Making me walk through this creepy factory by myself…" Irina complained bitterly, a katana gripped firmly in her grip as she moved between some broken conveyor belts.

 _Hehehe~, this brat seems pretty weak. So what if she has a holy sword if she can't hit me with it?_ The Stray Devil cooed as it started to silently crawl across a storage tank, taking a higher spot so that the moment Irina turned, she would aim straight for her back. _She'll definitely serve as a good first meal for the night! Then I'll have one less annoyance to deal with._

"Come out, Devil! You must atone for your sins!" Irina called out, though the tone of her voice made it sound far too carefree.

 _Oh, I'll come out. But I'm afraid I'll be committing another sin~!_ Only another moment later, and Irina's back was completely to her, completely undefended to the Devil. _Now! Become my appetizer, church filth!_ The Stray Devil let out a sickening gurgle as it spread its monstrous canines, kicking off with all eight legs and rocketing toward Irina. The twin tailed exorcist finally took notice, but wasn't fast enough to spin around or dodge the attack. "You're **dead**!" It cried out with a twisted cackle, jaw spread wide to take a chunk out of Irina in the first bite.

It failed to notice the large and strangely placed zipper across her back. One that opened the moment that the Stray Devil started to approach.

 **ARI!**

The Stray Devil wasn't sure what happened or how, but a fist suddenly crashed into her jaw. One powerful enough to completely stun her, knocking her back into the machinery and causing a clutter of metal and dust to erupt under her weight. Had the Devil been able to see or react at such speeds, it would have seen an armored arm stretching out from the zipper, colliding with her chin and sending her flying.

"Looks like the plan was a success." Climbing out of the large zipper, Bruno revealed himself. Hovering just above him was a blue and silver figure. Its face was hidden apart from the mouth by a helmet-like covering adorned with a mohawk-like row of short spikes. Its body was covered in a dark body suit, with the chest and stomach exposed, and has pieces of padded armor over the shoulders, arms and wrists, knees and feet.

"H-hurry up and close it up! It feels weird whenever you do your zipper thing~!" Irina whined, wiggling around in slight disgust. Bruno didn't make a sound in response, landing on his feet gracefully as he rescinded his power, the zipper disappearing and Irina's back returning to normal.

 _Wh-what the hell? Did that exorcist just come out of the other human..?_ The Stray Devil mentally mumbled, pushing off the ground and immediately flipping its body over, getting ready to pounce at a moment's notice.

"You were right, it did go after Irina." Xenovia hummed, stepping up from the Stray's left, blade in hand. "Using your Stand to walk in your place worked pretty well, too."

"You stupid shits… don't think I'll die so easily!" It growled out in defiance, quickly whipping its head around and shooting streams of acid spit at the blue haired exorcist. Xenovia whipped her sword forward, creating a wind that redirected the spit into the ground. Seeing that Xenovia was now distracted, she took the chance to launch herself at Bruno, teeth baring as she spread her eight legs out.

Bruno held an arm up, motioning for Irina to step back as he took the lead. The Stray Devil barely processed it, but the moment she was close enough the being from before materialized into existence. " **Sticky Fingers**!"

 **ARIARIARIARIARIARIARIARIARIARI~!**

The Stand nailed the Stray Devil with a blaze of consecutive punches in an instant, indents forming in its body from the impact. The Stray coughed up blood, its eight extra limbs doing little to protect it as they were almost immediately broken. "I-I'll kill you! I'll-" She choked out in desperation, but froze when she suddenly felt her body falling apart. "Wh-what?! What did you-" She cried out, looking down at her body, only to find that her limbs and her waist were starting to separate. At the intersecting lines, zippers stretched across the edges.

"It's over, Devil. May you repent for your sins through death." Bruno declared, eyes dark as he struck a flamboyant pose, hand on his knees as he leaned forward. "Xenovia, Irina."

"Yes, sir!" They cried out in unison. Both drew their blades forward, launching themselves at the jumbled mess of body parts.

"D-damn you! Damn-" The Stray cried out in its dying breath, only a second later being completely slashed through as Irina and Xenovia swung their blades, holy light blazing the ground and causing the monster to crumble into ash before them. Xenovia and Irina stood at length, the former wrapping her sword back up while Irina allowed hers to dissipate.

"We did it~! Good job, team!" Irina cheered, skipping over to Xenovia and holding her hand up. The blue haired girl chuckled, giving the twin tailed exorcist a high five. Irina then skipped over to Bruno, holding her hand up all the same. Bruno simply looked at her hand and sighed, a small smirk playing on his lips as he raised his arm and allowed her the gesture.

"Now that the Devil has been purged, let's go. I'm sure that the Gremory household will be on their way to examine the result." Bruno suggested, picking his cloak off the ground and throwing it around his shoulders.

"About that, Buccarati." Xenovia spoke up, grabbing their leader's attention. "Why did you decide to take care of the Stray? Shouldn't we have left that to the Devils of this town?"

"The intel had just come in about the Stray. The Devils who live similarly like this around the world are often out doing contracts until late in the evening." Bruno explained, placing a hand on his hip. "It might be their duty to do so, but if we can keep any lives from being lost to the Stray, then it is our duty to act."

"Sounds good to me! As long as I'm with you guys, I'm happy to serve!" Irina cheered, smiling kindly at the two. Xenovia, however, seemed somewhat hesitant.

"But it's not our mission in this town. Shouldn't we be following our orders complet-"

"Listen, Xenovia. Sometimes it is better to go beyond our orders if it means assuring the safety of others." Bruno cut her off, causing the blue haired girl to blink. "Our mission is important, yes, but that does not mean that when we're free to do so, we cannot give our help when help is needed. Should the Gremory family come an hour later or maybe even two, who's to say how many lives would be lost by then?"

Xenovia was silent, looking to the side with some shame. How many, indeed. Stray Devils were known for feasting on humans when they got the chance. Their appetite could vary, but they had encountered a Stray that once consumed up to four people in one night.

"It is fine to obey orders. But you must be able to choose for yourself what you are willing to do outside of them what is right." Bruno said, reaching a hand out and grabbing her shoulder gently but firmly.

Xenovia took a moment to think on his words before looking back up at him, nodding in understanding. "Yes, sir."

Bruno gave a small smile, nodding in acceptance. "Good. Now come, you two." He released her shoulder, turning around to lead them out. "I asked you both to accompany me on a personal request. I think it's deserving of a nice dinner. Let's find a local restaurant. My treat."

"Really~?! Yay~!" Irina cheered, quickly skipping after Bruno. "Oh, let me lead the way! I want to see if some of the old places I used to go are still around."

Xenovia lingered for a moment, watching the two as she continued to soak in his words. Shaking her head, Xenovia quickly gave chase, not wanting to miss out on dinner anymore than Irina did.

* * *

It was late in the night and just as requested, Josuke, Issei, and Okuyasu had gathered together to meet with Kiba. The four had relocated to a diner, the same of which Issei and Josuke brought Asia to on their day of fun together. The moment Kiba arrived, the graveness in his expression was evident. Despite calling the three to meet, he had been silent for the first few minutes, merely ordering his dinner before silently waiting, likely struggling with what he had to say to the three. His friends decided to let him speak when he was ready, not bothering to push him to say anything.

"Thank you all for coming." Kiba finally spoke, bringing the three out of any small talk they had filled the time with. "I'm sorry to do this so late, but I thought we'd be under less suspicion from president that way."

"So what's this about that you'd even avoid Rias over it?" Josuke asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "I've never seen you this serious before."

"Issei-san and Okuyasu-kun probably have some idea of what it is, but I will give you all full disclosure for myself, now." Kiba declared, looking up at the tall teen.

"W-wait, I do?" Issei blinked, scratching the back of his head.

"I can't confirm it with evidence, but I just know it in my heart. When you went to the dream world, you saw something of my past, didn't you?" Kiba asked, his question causing Issei to visibly tense. The memories of the corpses ran through his mind, of Kiba's pain and loss.

"Y-yeah… I don't know all the details, but I… I know you lost some friends, right?" Issei spoke, his voice quiet and solemn.

"They weren't just my friends. They were my family. The only people I had until they were…" Kiba gripped the napkin on the table, his knuckles white from the pressure. "... I told you once that long ago, I had my reasons for joining president's peerage, correct?" He asked, the three nodding in remembrance. "President had found me while I was at death's door, same as you, Issei-san. But the reason I became a Devil was because I wanted to get revenge. Because I didn't want to die in vain, wasting the sacrifice that my friends had made for me."

"What… happened?" Josuke asked slowly, almost feeling guilty for wanting to know more. Okuyasu and Issei were quiet, both knowing at this point about his loss. Though the details of it were still a mystery to them.

"You see… before I joined president's peerage, I was an orphan. I was picked up by the Church and put into an experiment meant to create holy swords."

"Y-you mean like the one we saw in the picture?" Okuyasu blinked in question, Kiba answering with a nod.

"Yes. Currently, there are only six holy swords that exist. Three of them belong to the church, but the other three are currently missing, now in the possession of Fallen Angels as far as I have been informed. Wanting to expand their power, the Church came up with the Holy Sword Project to make more. They had to use children for the experiment to learn if they were capable of using the swords. I was among them." Kiba explained, eyes becoming distant, turning his attention to the window. "It was hard at first, but through the trials and tribulation, we all had each other. We survived together. That was until… the Church discovered what that man was doing."

"I thought they were behind the experiments, though?" Issei blinked in surprise, Kiba shaking his head.

"They had approved of the project but they hadn't approved of his methods. When word leaked out about what he was doing to us to try and awaken our potential… he decided to dispose of us." Kiba grit his teeth, anger spreading across his face. "He was… planning to kill us all by poisoning us… to cover up what he had done. We tried to escape before it happened, but… but it was…" Kiba covered his mouth as he fought back the tears.

"I'm sorry that happened to you…" Josuke muttered, looking down at the table and scratching his head.

"Those guys sound like real pieces of shit…" Okuyasu muttered darkly, his brow furrowing in anger. "Doin' that shit to you… I'm gettin' pissed off just sittin' here!"

"Thanks for telling us. I know it was tough to get that out…" Issei muttered, reaching out and gripping his shoulder. "You know if you need anything, we've got your back."

Kiba took a deep breath and pushed back his tears, nodding in appreciation. "That's… that's why I called you all here, actually." Kiba admitted, the three other teens widening their eyes. "With everything that's going on, I… I realized I can't just play high schooler anymore." He looked back up at the three, a fire of determination in his eyes. "I'm going to be more proactive in finding the last of the missing Holy Swords and destroy them. And I'd like all of your help in doing so. Originally I planned to do this on my own, but…" Looking at Okuyasu he gave a small smirk. "I suppose I was convinced to do otherwise."

A short silence followed after that, but Okuyasu quickly broke it with a dumb grin. "Of course, moron! I already told ya to rely on me for this kinda thing, didn't I? Count me in!"

Issei blinked, a bit surprised that Okuyasu was aware of Yuuto's pain. Shaking his head, he grinned and balled his fist in front of him. "He's right. You might not remember it, but I told you to rely on your pals for help, too."

Kiba smiled softly at that, nodding in thanks. "Even though I don't, I can feel in my heart that you would. Thank you, Issei-kun."

"I'm definitely down to help you out, but how come you're not asking Rias?" Josuke asked, leaning on his hand. "You know she would do what she could to help, too."

"I know she would. But I've troubled president enough. I owe her everything, including this chance to even get revenge." Kiba admitted, shaking his head. "I don't want to give her any more trouble than I have to. But I am sorry that I'll be troubling you all, instead."

"Nah, it's fine. I was just curious, is all." Josuke dismissed with a wave, smirking at the blond. "Count me in. Someone has to keep you all from doing something dumb, anyways."

"Again, thank you all." Kiba bowed deeply to show his appreciation, fighting the urge to let a tear fall down his cheek. To have friends that he could rely on so readily truly was a relief. He was glad that he came to Kuoh town and that he got the chance to meet them. "I don't have anything solid now, but I'm going to be contacting all of my sources. Something is bound to come up."

"You know, it might be a shot in the dark, but why don't we ask Jotaro-san if he can get the Speedwagon Foundation to help us out, too?" Josuke suggested, causing the others to raise a brow. "Those guys seem to have some pretty good connections from what Jotaro's been able to dig up. It won't hurt to ask for his help. All he can do is say no."

"Oh, hey! That's a great idea! You're a friggin' genius, Josuke!" Okuyasu complemented with the largest, dumbest grin he could give.

"Thank you, thank you. Though hearing that from you doesn't make me feel great." Josuke laughed before turning back to Kiba. "But, yeah. Maybe we could just give him the picture from our album. It might be enough to get a hit. We don't have to tell Jotaro-san everything, just that we've got something we need help with."

"The holy swords don't all look alike, but it is a start." Kiba hummed, nodding in acceptance. "If you could get his help in the situation, I would greatly appreciate it." Turning to Okuyasu, Kiba's brow furrowed. "Okuyasu-kun. I think that should we find them, you will end up having the most important job."

"H-huh? I will?" Okuyasu blinked in confusion, surprised that he was now called to attention.

"Yes. With your Stand's ability to erase anything, I think that it would be the greatest choice of disposing of the holy swords." Kiba declared, holding his chin in thought. "I've been prepared to destroy them for a long time, but they're still holy relics. It might not be so easily disposed. Though I believe it will be different in your case."

"Aw, shucks, when you say it like that I feel pretty proud…" Okuyasu laughed bashfully, rubbing the back of his head.

"Someone looks happy." Issei laughed, shaking his head. "But, hey. Thanks for deciding to trust us with this. We'll be sure to kick some ass when the time comes!"

"I'll make sure you guys don't do anything too crazy unless it calls for it." Josuke chuckled, giving a thumbs up to the blond.

"I'll be counting on you all." Kiba smiled, a sense of warmth spreading through his body. He had thought long ago that he couldn't rely on anyone for his mission. That he was a beast that didn't need friends. But here he was with three of the best guys he ever met, counting on them to help his selfish request.

"Alright! To celebrate our pact, let's get some dessert and have Kiba pay for it!" Issei cheered, earning a coo of agreement from Okuyasu.

"Oh, yeah! I hear the pie here is pretty damn awesome! Let's get some of that!" Okuyasu laughed, licking his lips longingly.

"Geez, exercise some control, will you?" Josuke sighed, shaking his head before looking at Kiba. "Well, if you're buying, I think some ice cream sounds pretty good."

"What was that about control?" Issei laughed, nudging his best friend with his elbow in amusement. Kiba didn't mind that the teens might rob him of a bit of money for treats. Watching them now, the three bellowing with laughter and jokes at one another's expense, all he could do was smile.

 **To be continued…**

 **Thanks goes to my beta reader for his hard work so quickly after I finished!**

 **It's fun to finally get started on the second season of DxD after so many in-between chapters spent on my own personal filler stuff. Just in time too, apparently, as the next season of DxD has just been announced. It's also fun because I can finally start working on the girls and their interest in Josuke. I'm just glad I didn't rush into it for no reason.**

 **So yeah, despite the obvious canon changes, you can see things are turning out a bit different for everyone involved. Bruno's here, Kiba's not lone wolfing it and Hazel's snooping around.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, please leave a review, a follow, and a favorite if you'd please~!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: I own neither JoJo's Bizarre Adventure or Highschool DxD**

Chapter 25

"The Stray was killed before you found it?"

Rias furrowed her brow seriously, the reaction of her long time friend only adding to her confusion. The previous night, she had received word from home that a Stray Devil was running loose in the town. It didn't take long for her to pinpoint its location to one of the old abandoned warehouses. She called upon her servants, being prepared to strike out at the Devil. But by the time she had summoned them, Akeno informed her that it had already been destroyed. With Akeno, the two investigated the warehouse alone, only finding small remnants of what was left of the Stray still there. Traces of a battle could be seen all over the factory, but little else had come from their investigation. She hoped that, in spite of inaction on her part before, that Sona might have been the one to eliminate the Devil in her stead. Obviously, that hadn't been the case.

"That's right. Judging from your reaction, it wasn't you who did it either." Rias sighed, leaning back in her seat and crossing her arms. "I highly doubt it was any of my servants as they would have informed me of an encounter."

"The same could be said for mine. It seems we have a stranger in town who decided to deal with it themselves." Sona hummed, eyes narrowing as she held her chin. "I highly doubt it was Jotaro-san. He likely would have called us. Not to mention he wouldn't be able to receive such information."

"It's possible that it was the church." Akeno suddenly spoke, bringing their attention to her. "Often they will receive word on Stray Devils as well. It's their duty to kill Devils, after all."

"That is true, but they're supposed to stay out of our territory. Not to mention that normally no exorcist would venture into our turf for a single Stray." Rias held her chin in thought, trying to think of any alternatives. "But… that does seem like the only option left. We all know that Myrcella wouldn't go out of her way to do that, either."

 ***RING RING***

The four turned to the single phone on Rias' desk, the Gremory heiress picking it up and putting their conversation on hold. "Hello?"

" _Is this Rias Gremory?"_ Rias narrowed her eyes, hearing a thick accent in the voice on the other side.

"Who might this be if you don't mind me asking?" Rias responded, her words courteous but no less cautious. She set the phone back on the receiver and set it to speaker.

" _I'll take that as a yes. Greetings, Gremory-san. I am Bruno Bucciarati, an exorcist in the service of the Lord and the Church."_ Rias narrowed her eyes, leaning on one hand as she felt on edge now.

"What does an exorcist of the church want with me?" Rias asked, her tone sharper now as she spoke.

" _I'm not calling to make any threats or judgements. I wanted to inform you that me and two of my associates are in town and would like to meet with you."_ Bruno said, Rias raising a brow as she looked at Sona and Akeno.

"Is that so? And why would you wish to speak with me directly? Is it something you can't simply say over the phone?" Rias asked, no less suspicious of the exorcists' motives for meeting. It was always smart to be cautious of the servants of their enemies.

" _It's a matter that I would like to discuss in person rather than over the phone. The importance of our mission requires a genuine approval from your end rather than just words. I hope you understand."_ Rias pinched the bridge of her nose. A visit from the church was just what she needed right now after all the turmoil she had suffered over the past couple months.

"Am I to have your word that you won't act violently toward myself or any Devils, be they servants or members of another family?" Rias asked, a daring edge in her voice for him to refuse.

" _You do. I promise that we do not come in ill will toward you or Sona Sitri. Our mission doesn't involve Devils, in fact. I swear on the Church._ " That was a very deep promise from a member of the Church. It was enough to take Rias a bit by surprise, but quickly correct herself.

"... Fine. Tomorrow, here at Kuoh Academy. You and your associates can meet us here and say your piece." Rias sighed, deciding to hear out the exorcist and his associates. Looking up at Sona, the Sitri heiress nodded in understanding, giving her own agreement to the meeting.

" _I thank you. That is all I have to say. I will meet you tomorrow."_

"Before you go, Bucciarati, I have something to ask." Rias said, stopping him before he could hang up. "Last night, there was a Stray Devil in town. Before we could destroy the monster ourselves, it had already been slain."

" _That was us. We had received message of a Stray Devil nearby and decided to deal with it on our own."_ Bruno confirmed for her before she could ask, Rias humming in response.

"I see. Was there any particular reason why?"

" _It was to keep any casualties from forming. We were close by, and so dealing with it then instead of waiting for you seemed like the safest option for the town. I'm sure you would have responded quickly, but I couldn't have been sure if you received the intel before we did."_ Bruno explained for her, the red haired Devil narrowing her eyes.

"If you were in town already, then why didn't you try to make a meeting sooner?" Rias asked, her tone hiding no accusation.

" _I needed to confirm with my associates that our mission would indeed be in this town and would not shift. I can give you more details on what exactly that is tomorrow."_ Bruno answered honestly, though Rias couldn't help but doubt his words. It was just a result of distrust between the factions, after all.

"... Very well. Tomorrow, after school. We'll see you then." Rias sighed, hanging up the phone and looking up at Sona and her queen. "What do you think?"

"His words seem genuine enough, but that doesn't mean much. Still, as members of the Church they're not foolish enough to do anything quite so brash as attacking us in your territory. Even the Fallen Angels who hid here didn't dare try anything directly against either of us when they were here." Sona reasoned, pushing her glasses up. "I suppose all will be revealed tomorrow."

"Perhaps this is about Jotaro-san." Akeno guessed, narrowing her eyes. "The agreement between factions was that none of their bloodline would be forced into a rebirth. This might be an issue addressing such, even if we haven't made any moves to do so."

"Perhaps. But as we've said, we won't know the truth of the matter until tomorrow." Rias said, standing from her seat. "Still, it wouldn't hurt to give Jotaro-san a call. Better to at least keep him informed rather than wait."

"I'll call him on my way home. Right now, he's an outside party the same as I am." Sona volunteered, though earning a small giggle from Rias. "What's so amusing?"

"You just want an excuse to talk to your hero, huh?" Rias teased, the face of her bespectacled friend turning a tint of red. "Imagine if your sister heard about all of this. I can only imagine that the reason she hasn't shown up yet is because you've kept quiet about it."

"The last thing I need is Serafall meeting Jotaro-san. I'd die of embarrassment…" Sona admitted, turning away as shivers went up her body.

* * *

"We now have our meeting planned." Bruno announced, turning in his seat to look at Xenovia, who stood by their hotel beds. "Tomorrow in the evening, we'll be sitting down with Rias Gremory. I expect you to be on your best behavior."

"Why? They're Devils. We owe them no courtesy." Xenovia huffed, brow furrowing in irritation. "I'm not even sure why you bothered to call."

"Because wasting our time to go to the school only to be turned away would be a waste of time. Not to mention come off as a threat rather than a request for a discussion." Bruno countered, crossing his arms over his chest. "While I understand your reservations, we're not here to cut down the heiresses of the Underworld. We're here to hunt down the remainder of Excalibur."

"That doesn't mean we have to be any more cordial with Devils, Bruno. I don't understand how you can so casually act toward them. They're our mortal enemies." Xenovia said, turning her gaze to the side in annoyance. Bruno took a moment to consider her words, linking his fingers and closing his eyes.

"Xenovia. Would it be safe for me to assume that you find Devils to be the greatest evil in existence?" Bruno asked, causing the blue haired exorcist to blink as she looked back at him.

"Of course. They're the abominations of Hell. Not to mention the mortal enemies of our lord and the Church." Xenovia answered without hesitation, this ideal having been hammered into her very soul. Bruno nodded in understanding, leaning back in his chair.

"I see. It's very understandable. With the background you've grown up in, such would be your mindset. It's fairly rational as well as justifiable." Bruno said, acknowledging her words and the weight they carried. "But from my background and the experiences I've lead in life, I believe the greatest evil to be something else entirely: humans."

Xenovia blinked in shock, sweat trailing down her brow. "H-humans? How could you say that? They're the very people we both fight to protect and lead to God!"

Bruno stood from his seat, walking over to the window and pulling away the curtain. Their hotel room was on the tenth floor, giving them a decent view of the city below. Lights blinked across the streets from cars, neon signs flashing to draw attention of people passing by. "Humans are capable of the greatest good. Working hard despite terrible conditions. Struggling each day to provide for their families. Finding happiness in the little that they have. That is the good in humanity that I appreciate and protect Xenovia. But what good exists does not eliminate the evil that is there."

Looking back at the blue haired exorcist, Bruno's eyes pierced into her soul. "Evil that abuses the good that surrounds it. Forces the weak to do its bidding and silencing it when they feel threatened by what it might say. Humans are the greatest evil to me because you never know who to trust. Out of the existing races of the universe, humanity is the most two faced of them all."

"Bruno, that's crazy. Devils are-"

"Naturally dark in their existence, I understand." Bruno cut her off, shaking his head. "But with that obvious nature, you know exactly what to expect from a Devil. It's honest in its own way. But humanity… One man could be the kindest on earth, and the next could stab you in the back the moment you turn away. In my life, after meeting both Angel, Devil, and many other races, the one who has done the greatest damage to itself has been humanity."

Xenovia absorbed his words, following his previous gaze to the outside. She still didn't fully believe his words, but she understood. Before becoming part of this three man team, she had heard many rumors regarding his past. Even before joining the church, his life had taken a dark turn. The details and truth of it all were still a mystery, but in the past year of working with Bruno, she learned to trust him as a friend and as her leader. Even if she didn't agree with his sentiment, it was enough to at least give her something to think about.

"Where is Irina?" Bruno suddenly asked, the previously heavy atmosphere shattering in the wake of his question.

"Oh, she said she wanted to go and see her old friend, Issei Hyoudou." Xenovia said, shrugging casually. "She knew you were still getting ready and told me to wait for you and to meet at his house."

Bruno blinked in disbelief, eyes conveying a bit of frustration. "Issei Hyoudou… the childhood friend that was reportedly turned into a Devil… by Rias Gremory." he asked slowly, his voice flat as he spoke.

"That's right. She just wanted to pay him a brief visit. I told her you might not like the idea, but she thought there would be no harm in it." Xenovia further explained, taking her a moment to pick up on his tone of voice. "... was that bad?"

Bruno couldn't stop himself from slapping his face in exasperation. "I swear, you two can be unbelievable sometimes…" He muttered, shaking his head. "Come on. Let's go fetch her before she accidently causes some sort of conflict."

* * *

"Did Rias say why there was no meeting today?" Josuke asked, raising a brow at Issei in question.

"All she said was that she was meeting with Sona. We're supposed to be getting our orders for contracts later tonight when she's done." Issei explained, shrugging in answer. "It must not be related to Jotaro-san or Myrcella if she's doing all this. Did we miss something?"

"I don't think so… president would have called us if something occurred. I'm sure it's just some royal family business." Kiba reasoned, holding his chin in thought before looking at Koneko. "Did you notice anything?"

"No. It was the same as usual." Koneko shook her head. "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. President knows what she's doing."

"Yeah but it feels kinda weird to be left out…" Okuyasu muttered, scratching his head in thought.

"Koneko is right. I trust that president is handling it. If she needs us, she will call." Kiba agreed, offering the others a smile. "We'll see you all tomorrow unless something happens. Take care."

"See you." Koneko said, her eyes lingering on Josuke before turning around and crossing the street with Kiba. The remaining four waved their goodbye before continuing on toward home.

"Oh yeah, did you hear back from Jotaro-san?" Issei asked, looking at Josuke in question.

"He said he'd put out a search for anything related, but we didn't have much to go on." Josuke sighed, scratching the back of his head. "All we had was a picture, after all. I'm sure that there's been plenty of replications out there that they'll find."

"Shit, sounds like we'll be waitin' a while… guess it's too much to ask for it to fall in our laps, huh?" Okuyasu cursed impatiently, shoulders slumping.

"What are you guys talking about?" Asia asked, glancing inquisitively around at the three. Each of them cursed to themselves, realizing they had opened their mouths without thinking of their present company.

"I-it's nothing to worry about, Asia! Just a little something me and the guys are looking up…" Issei lamely excused, waving his hands in the air dismissively. Asia tilted her head in question, most likely thinking of asking more. But the moment that they turned the corner leading to the street of their homes, Asia and Issei both froze in place, a cold sweat building on their brows as they felt a dangerous presence nearby. Josuke and Okuyasu stopped, turning back to them with clueless expressions.

"What's wrong?" Josuke asked, raising a brow at their actions.

"This feeling, just now…" Issei muttered, dread spreading across his face as he looked up at his home. There was no doubt about it, the dangerous feeling came from his house.

"Wh-what is that, Issei..?" Asia muttered, slightly trembling as she was unsettled by the presence.

"The hell is going on? You guys alright?" Okuyasu asked, looking between the two in confusion.

"This feeling… it's just like when I met Asia… and when she took me to the church the first time…" Issei explained, eyes narrowing at his house. "And just like when I met that bastard, Freed. I think someone from the church is here… or worse…" horror suddenly filled him, the brunette Devil rushing forward. "Mom!" He called out, knowing that his mother would be home by this time.

"O-oi, Issei!" Josuke called out, not waiting another second before giving chase. Asia and Okuyasu were quick on their tail despite their confusion, hoping to be ready for whatever might be next.

Issei rushed to his front door and quickly threw it open, thankful that it was open so he didn't have to pull out his keys. "Mom!" Issei called out as soon as he entered. The hallway leading into their house was dark, but a light was shining from the living room. This filled Issei with a sliver of fear, remembering that this was a similar sight to when he had entered the home of the man slain by Freed. _No… is she-_

"Hahahaha~! I told you those two were inseparable! They even took baths together all the time!" Issei blinked, immediately recognizing the voice as his mother's. Relief filled him but mixed also with confusion. The brunette gripped his hidden dragon arm, keeping his guard up as he more casually approached the living room entrance. He spared a glance back at Josuke who in turn gave him a silent nod of understanding. Turning back, Issei walked forward, the light becoming stronger as he entered the living room. To his surprise, it was just his mother and a girl around his age with orange hair, the two of them looking through a photo album together.

"Ah, Issei! Nice to see you home early!" His mother smiled at him, waving him over. "Look who's here~! I'm sure you don't recognize her, but she's an old friend of yours!"

 _It was because of her we felt those chills?_ Issei thought to himself, watching the twin tailed girl carefully. Despite his tense posture, the girl gave a carefree smile, one that was almost too comfortable while looking at him.

"Hey, Issei! It's been a long time!" The girl greeted kindly, causing Issei to blink. "What's wrong? You having trouble remembering me?"

"U-um…" Issei was drawing a blank. Her orange hair was familiar but otherwise he didn't know any girls when he was younger.

"No way…" Issei cranked his head back, looking to see Josuke in the doorway. His eyes were wide and sweat was trailing down his brow. "I-is it…"

"You know her, Josuke?!" Issei exclaimed in shock. The tall teen didn't answer immediately, instead walking past Issei and over to the orange haired girl. She watched him curiously, tilting her head in question as he crouched in front of her, a more serious look on his expression as his brow hardened. The two stared eye to eye for a long moment, Issei unable to read his reaction. Even his mother was quiet, trying to figure out what was going on. It almost felt like Josuke was staring into her soul, never to break his concentration.

That was until he pulled on the inside of his cheek and stuck his tongue out, making a funny sound as he did so. The girl blinked in shock before quickly replacing it with a playful smile, pulling at both cheeks and sticking her tongue back out at him. Apparently a war of funny faces had erupt between the two.

"Wh-what the hell are you guys doing?!" Issei blanched, his initial shock at their exchange now replaced with further confusion. Josuke let go of his cheek and started to laugh, standing up with his arms spread wide in the air.

"Irina!" He cried out with a surprising amount of mirth.

"Josuke~!" The girl returned it, copying his arm motion before jumping into his arms, the two laughing as they hugged one another tightly. Issei's jaw had completely fallen, eye twitching in disbelief as he watched the two break their hug and smile kindly at one another. Okuyasu and Asia peeked their heads inside the room, now watching the scene play out with just as much confusion as the brunette.

"Look at you, all girly now. You had me thinking you'd be a tomboy your whole life!"

"I knew you'd be tall, but I didn't realize **this** huge! Your hair still looks as awesome as I remember, though!"

"W-would someone **please** tell me what's going on?!" Issei finally snapped, his mother and the two laughing friends pausing in their reunion.

"You don't remember, Issei? Look! She's in that picture with you and Josuke!" Issei's mother took over for them, holding up one of their photo albums to see. It was the same picture from the day before that had triggered Kiba, only now did Issei realize who the girl in the picture was.

"Wait, what?! That's her?! B-but-"

"I know, she used to look like one of the boys." Issei's mother giggled, looking back at Irina. "I almost didn't recognize her at first because of that."

"But I thought she **was** a boy!" Issei blurted, causing Irina and his mother to widen their eyes in shock. Josuke blinked though, some sweat starting to build up on his brow as he looked away from the three, beginning to whistle.

"Issei, how rude! I can't believe you-" Issei's mother began to scold, only for Irina to reach out and touch her shoulder.

"No, it's okay. I was pretty boyish when I was younger. I don't think I ever corrected Issei on it, either." Irina explained before holding her chin in thought. "But still, I could have sworn that I told Josuke to tell him after I left…" she trailed off, all eyes falling on Josuke.

"U-uh… are you sure? I don't remember that… exactly..." Josuke lamely muttered, putting on a smile as he waved a dismissive hand.

"Wait a sec, you knew?!" Issei blurted, Josuke's cheeks filling out as he held back a laugh.

"I-I'm sorry, I couldn't help it." Josuke finally admitted, holding his hands up in surrender. "Y-you acted so carefree in front of her because of that. You used to make her so nervous when we'd roughhouse in the park or you started to change in front of her…" _Not to mention she had a huge crush on him. It was twice as funny because of that._

"Are you followin' this..?" Okuyasu whispered over to Asia, the blonde Devil giving a sheepish smile as she shook her head.

"W-wait, I did what?!" Issei paled, memories starting to flood in from their past together. Thinking about it, he did a **lot** of embarrassing things in front of Irina that he would have never done in front of her had he known she was a girl. Though now it all started to make sense. Josuke always looked like he was holding a laugh back during those times, too.

"Josuke, how could you~?! I told you to tell him!" Irina whined, pouting up at the tall teen. "Why didn't you?!"

Josuke scratched the back of his head nervously, offering a lame smile. "W-well, we were pretty bummed out when you had to leave, so uh… it just never came up. Sorry, I forgot…" he admitted, looking to the side in shame. "I knew if I said something about it yesterday when we saw the picture that he'd probably throw a fit."

"Yeah, no shit!" Issei snapped in irritation, face flaring up as the memories continued to flood and further embarrass him.

"Oh, it's okay now. After all, we're finally reunited!" Irina declared, offering a small smile of peace. "Besides, I'd say we've all been through some pretty big changes since we were little, huh? You never know what could happen to someone when you haven't seen them for so long." She giggled, but caused the two to tense. The implication was small, but apparent to both teens. She was definitely a member of the church, and she knew that Issei was a Devil.

"So… what does that mean for us?" Josuke asked, looking at Irina with a more hopeful expression. He would rather not have to fight her, but considering her position he wasn't sure how things might go.

"Oh, nothing bad, trust me! I just wanted to come by and see everyone. I was planning to stop by your place after, but I'm happy that I got to see you both at the same time." Irina smiled, reassuring that she wasn't there for any sort of fight. Josuke and Issei visibly relaxed, the two thankful that she wasn't here for any sort of conflict with them, at least.

 ***DING DONG***

"Oh, that must be my friends! They probably came by to pick me up." Irina announced, turning to Issei's mother and bowing. "Thank you for having me, Hyoudou-san."

"Of course! If you're in town for a while, feel free to come by when you like!" She replied, bowing back.

Irina smiled and nodded, looking at her childhood friends and smiling. "I'll be seeing you guys tomorrow, okay? See you then!" She declared, skipping past them. Okuyasu and Asia watched her leave, the twin tailed girl paying them no mind as she headed for the door and opened it up. "Hey, Xenovia! Bruno! I'm all don-"

 ***bonk***

"Ow~!" Irina had been swiftly chopped on top of the head, whining in pain as she held the spot that was likely now forming a bump. "Bruno, what was that for?!"

"For coming without my permission to a Devil's home. Childhood friend or not, he's still a Devil. You could have caused an incident." Bruno quickly admonished her, crossing his arms before looking into the house to see Issei and the others watching him. He placed a hand on his chest and bowed. "I apologize for her intrusion. While Irina might be an old acquaintance, she should know better. Tell your master that she did not mean anything volatile by this visit."

Issei blinked, realizing he was being addressed. "U-uh, yeah, that's fine… I could tell she didn't mean any harm…" Issei muttered, a little surprised by his politeness despite the fact that they were technically enemies.

"Sorry for causing trouble…" Irina mumbled, rubbing her head in the sore spot. Bruno merely sighed, nodding in acceptance.

"It's fine. Nothing seems to have erupted from this, so I'm sure that their master will understand it was not some sort of threat. Come, we're returning to the hotel." Bruno said, motioning for Irina and Xenovia to follow after him.

"Okay~!" Irina said, returning to her previous boisterous attitude as she followed him out. Xenovia seemed to linger though, her eyes like daggers as she stared at Issei and Asia in the doorway. Her gaze unsettled Asia, the blonde taking a step back. Taking a step in front of her, Okuyasu shoved his hands into his pockets, meeting Xenovia's gaze in her stead and glaring.

"Got a problem?" He asked, becoming defensive now. Josuke stood next to him, the tall teen narrowing his eyes at the blue haired exorcist.

"Xenovia!" Bruno called out, his voice commanding. Xenovia merely stared for another moment, a test of wills rising between her and Okuyasu, now. She only spent a few seconds longer holding his gaze, closing her eyes and turning around to follow Bruno and Irina.

"Humans should stay away from Devils." She said without turning back, the punk teen huffing in annoyance at her attitude.

"Wait." Josuke suddenly called out, taking a step forward and causing the three to stop. "Irina said that she would be seeing us tomorrow. You mind telling us what this is about?"

Bruno looked back, his expression blank. "I'd rather not explain ourselves more than once. Tomorrow we'll be arriving at your school after it ends. You will learn everything at that time." He declared before turning back to the car they had arrived in. Josuke sighed, glancing back at the others in question. They would receive no more answers from him that night. With nothing else to be done, Josuke and Okuyasu returned home while Issei and Asia awaited Rias' arrival.

* * *

Issei let out a heavy sigh as he leaned forward. After Rias returned home, he informed her of the previous events. She had been somewhat frantic, but was relieved to see that they were all okay and no fight had started. When discussing it, Issei discovered that she knew about as much as they did, though it took them by surprise about the Stray Devil they had killed. Still, the situation continued to worry him. He was somewhat thankful that Rias decided to send him out for the single contract now had with an older gentleman.

"Is something wrong, Devil?" Issei blinked his eyes open, realizing that he might have looked rather troubled in front of his contractee. The man was old, most likely in his late thirties or forties, but was rather handsome looking by female standards. He had a mess of blond and black hair on top of his head as well as a chinstrap beard. Currently, he wore a comfortable make kimono, looking rather out of place considering that they were only out fishing on the small river in town.

"A-ah, no, not really. Just uh… got a lot on my mind." Issei admitted, scratching his head sheepishly for letting himself fall into his thoughts. He originally wanted to distract himself from what was coming, but considering that fishing required a bit of silence and patience, it didn't do much to distract him.

"You shouldn't worry too much about the future, kid. You're too young for thoughts like that." The man chuckled, turning his gaze back out to their poles. "Try to sit and enjoy what's happening now. Deal with things as they come."

"Y-yeah, you're right, it's just… kinda hard. Especially when I don't know what's going to happen." Issei said, resting his chin in one hand as he stared out at their poles.

"Things usually work out for the best if you let them. Sometimes all you can do is sit back and relax." His contractor shrugged, his eyes trailing forward. "By the way, your line's getting pulled."

"Huh?" Issei soon realized what he said was true, quickly attempting to fling out the fish from the water. With wide eyes, he realized he brought in a decent sized trout, smiling as he marveled at it. "Wow, I didn't think I'd catch something like this here!"

"See? Just being patient can help bring about the best result." The older man chuckled, standing from his seat and grabbing a bucket. Issei quickly unhooked it, tossing it inside. "That should make for a good dinner. Thank you."

"Ah, it's nothing. I'm surprised you don't really want me to do more than just hang out for our contract, though." Issei admitted with a chuckle.

"I'm just happy to have company. It's nice to hang out with someone your age. I have a daughter that's actually about as old as you. I love her, but sometimes it's hard to connect with her. Though that's mostly my fault." The man said with a kind grin, surprising Issei a bit. "We don't live together, but I try to at least make sure she knows I'm always happy to be around her when I can."

"Sounds like you've got a few worries of your own." Issei said, offering a sympathetic smile.

"Just a few. We've been getting along more recently, but she's in a rebellious stage." He laughed in reply. A phone suddenly rang in his pocket, the two pausing their conversation as he pulled it out. "Ah. Speak of the Devil. Well, not technically with you here. You may go now. I should take this before she decides that I'm not worth talking to."

"No problem. Thanks for having me, old man. I'll see you around." Issei nodded, walking away and jogging up the hill. The man watched him go for a moment before finally answering, holding the phone to his ear.

"I was wondering when you might call. Everything okay, Hazel?"

" _It's going fine. Couldn't get into their club yesterday, but we were expecting that. Did you already meet with Issei Hyoudou?"_

"I actually just sent him off after seeing your call. He seems to be a bit worried. I'm guessing it's because of what's soon to arrive in Kuoh." He said, glancing back up the hill to see Issei riding away on his bike.

" _He's got plenty of reason for that. My spies say that they saw several exorcists come from his house. No fight broke out, so I'm guessing the church is trying to avoid two conflicts at once."_

"I figured the church would want to meet with Gremory before acting, but I didn't expect them to go to one of her servants homes. Were your spies able to determine why?"

" _They couldn't get close enough to listen. Considering the seals in place around their houses, they'd be spotted depending on the distance they kept. We're just going to have to wait for this to play out."_

"It sounds like it. When the time is right, we'll reveal ourselves. It should start to get interesting very soon." He chuckled, taking a seat back on his stool and casting his line out. "Well, if you're done with work for the day, why don't you come and join me for some fishing?"

" _Sorry, I'd rather do anything but that right now. I'll probably find some guy or girl to crawl into bed with. Not sure what I'm feeling up for today."_

The man winced at hearing that. Hazel knew that he grew uncomfortable hearing about her experiences. And she did love to make him uncomfortable. "Look, dear. I know you think I'm a pig, but you don't have to-"

" _Target acquired. See you later, old man. I've got a world to rock."_ The line suddenly went dead, the man blinking before slumping his shoulders. He couldn't even say anything considering the number of wives he had and the one daughter who grew up with them. "I guess this is my punishment for that, huh?" He chuckled dryly, returning his attention to the still river.

* * *

The day had come and gone, Rias and her peerage along with Josuke and Okuyasu quickly gathered at the clubroom. They didn't have to wait long for their unprecedented guests to arrive, the same three exorcists from the night before walking into the clubroom silently. Akeno didn't prepare any tea and none of the Devils spared the usual courtesy greeting to their guests. Even Riser had been shown a bit more courtesy by Rias and her peerage. Even if it was to follow certain expectations given by Grayfia. Still, no such pleasantries were prepared for the exorcists of the church. Kiba in particular looked irritated, a hardened glare never leaving his face.

"Thank you for taking the time to see us. I know that this is out of the ordinary for all parties involved, so I will not make this more difficult than it needs to be." Bruno said first, taking a seat on a couch positioned across from Rias with Xenovia and Irina sitting on each side of him. Rias sat alone while her peerage stood behind the couch save for Akeno who stood at attention at her side. "Allow me to reintroduce myself, I am Bruno Bucciarati. My comrades here are Xenovia Quarta and Irina Shidou."

"It is most unusual for followers of the church to request a meeting with Devils. At least not on peaceful terms." Rias said, crossing one leg over the other as she met Bruno's gaze. "So what exactly has brought you here?"

"The last remaining pieces of Excalibur have been traced to this city." Bruno declared. The moment the word left his mouth, Rias' entire peerage tensed, Kiba especially becoming rigid in shock. Josuke, Okuyasu, and Issei spared him a glance, all knowing what this was for him. "The church is in possession of three of the six blades that currently exist. Excalibur Destruction and Excalibur Mimic are held by my two associates." Bruno explained, motioning with both arms to the girls at his side.

"I see. So what exactly is it you need from us?" Rias asked, narrowing her eyes as a sultry smile spread on her lips. "I have no information regarding the matter and if I did, I wouldn't feel terribly inclined to give it to associates of the church."

"We don't need information. This is simply a formal meeting to give you fair warning." Bruno dismissed, crossing his arms. "This conflict is between the church and the Fallen Angels. All we request is that you remain neutral in this clash. We won't cause an incident with you if you do the same for us."

Before Rias could reply, Kiba suddenly turned away, stomping toward the door and leaving the room. Josuke and Okuyasu spared a glance at one another before looking at Issei, the brunette sighing in understanding. For this matter to come right to their doorstep only two days after discussing the Holy Swords was unbelievable. There was no way that Kiba could turn a blind eye to this information.

Rias' eyes softened for a moment as a worried frown crossed her face. But as quick as it came it faded, her expression becoming all business again. "Are you insinuating that we would aid the Fallen Angels? That's a bold accusation." Rias asked, her own eyes accusing Bruno of such.

"I personally see no benefit in such an alliance, but this is simply a worry that was passed down by our superiors." Bruno admitted, leaning back into the couch. "I'm aware that Devils and Fallen Angels carry no more love for one another than either of our factions."

"That doesn't change the fact that Devils find Holy Swords to be detestable things." Xenovia suddenly spoke, causing Bruno to send a glare at the back of her head. "In most cases, I would say that your goals would align with the Fallen Angels, correct?" It didn't take a genius to see that such an idea completely pissed off Rias, an aura of anger surrounding her as the Gremory heiress's eyes turned red. _Shit, president's pissed!_ Issei gulped, taking a small step away from his master in fear. "If you were to for whatever reason intervene, then we have been given permission to annihilate you should-"

" **Enough Xenovia**!" Bruno suddenly burst, causing Rias to blink and look at the jet black haired exorcist. In spite of her stoic exterior, Xenovia had flinched when Bruno spoke her name, though not looking back at him as he spoke. "I told you that I wanted to handle this with tact, not threats."

Xenovia turned her gaze back to Bruno, eyes hardened in annoyance. Most usually, Xenovia respected his position as leader of their trio, knowing him to be the most intelligent and sharp of the three. But when it came to Devils, Xenovia and him would clash. "Don't you think you're being far too courteous with our enemies?"

"The enemies that concern me right now are the Fallen Angels. Rias Gremory has no reason to seek out the Excalibur pieces." Bruno declared, his voice strong in its command. "Despite what the higher ups told us, I'm not willing to start a war over this matter."

"You seem pretty relaxed compared to your friend when it comes to Devils." Josuke suddenly spoke, causing Bruno's gaze to turn to him this time.

"Don't get me wrong. I don't believe Devils to be our allies in any way nor expect anything more from Rias Gremory aside from her neutrality in the matter." Bruno said, his eyes showing no amount of weakness as he spoke. "But for the duration of my work in the church, I've learned to not to be so dogmatic in certain practices."

"Bruno's butted heads with a lot of bishops in the church." Irina giggled out, earning a small eye roll from Bruno.

"Regardless, I have a mission and I plan to carry it out." Bruno declared before sending another glare Xenovia's way. "And as I've said before, we'll be handling it **my** way."

Xenovia gave a defiant expression, narrowing her eyes at Bruno before turning her head away from him in annoyance. _She's pouting…_ A resounding thought echoed between the Devils and Stand users, the tension from before now losing its edge.

"Well, back to the matter at hand, I can at least reassure your concerns." Rias spoke, turning Bruno's attention back to her. "I have no intention of aiding the Fallen Angels and would never be so foolish as to tarnish my family's name in doing so. But also remember that I have no plans or obligation to aid your side, either.

"That's completely fine. All we needed to make clear was our position to you and to make sure there would be no outside involvement." Bruno nodded in acceptance before shifting his gaze. "Other than that, there is only one other matter to discuss, though it's with your friend rather than you." He declared, eyes turning to Josuke this time. "Josuke Higashikata, correct?"

"Huh? Yeah, that's me." Josuke blinked in surprise as he was suddenly addressed, glancing at the others briefly before looking back at Bruno again. "Is there something you want from me?"

"Just confirmation. Are you a servant of Rias Gremory, now?" Bruno asked, causing him to blink in surprise. "While you had fallen outside the scope of watch upon your father's side of the family, you still have Joestar blood in your veins. You even possess a Stand. The church can't do anything about it now if you are, but they want confirmation of your position."

"No, I'm human." Josuke declared, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Rias hasn't tried to force me into any servitude or anything."

"Then why are you hanging around Devils?" Xenovia suddenly spoke, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "You know what she is and what she represents. Perhaps she has a spell on you? You should be-"

"Regardless of what she is, she's my friend." Josuke cut her off, causing the blue haired exorcist to blink. "Her and everyone in her peerage. Rias saved my best friend from dying and was there for me when I needed them. I'm there for her and everyone else in the same way. Whether I'm human or not."

The Devils around Josuke smiled, appreciating his loyalty to them despite the pressure from Xenovia. Turning back to them, Rias crossed her arms. "And there you have it. Josuke may not be my servant, but he's our friend. Now, will that be all?"

Bruno was silent for a moment, holding his chin in thought before standing up. "I'm not sure how to report such a relationship, but it will do. Thank you for sparing us your time, Rias Gremory. I hope, for both our sakes, we will not be forced to cross paths again." Xenovia and Irina soon stood up alongside him.

"I guess we'll see you guys later! Sorry it couldn't be under better circumstances, guys." Irina giggled, waving to Issei and Josuke.

"Try to be careful on your mission, Irina." Josuke chuckled, waving back as she followed after Bruno. He suddenly felt an aura of irritation hit him, a bead of sweat trailing down his cheek as he looked back at Akeno and Koneko, both girls radiating with annoyance. "Wh-what?"

"You." Xenovia suddenly spoke, breaking the discussion up before it could start. Her attention was now focused on Asia, the blonde Devil blinking in question. "Are you Asia Argento? The former saint turned witch?"

Asia's eyes went wide, now trembling with grief at the familiar title given to her after her banishment.

"Oh, is that her? I heard she was banished after she healed a Devil." Irina suddenly spoke, turning back to Asia and walking next to Xenovia. "I hadn't heard that you became a Devil, though."

"What's it to you, anyway?" Okuyasu growled in irritation, stepping up next to Asia with Issei standing on the other side of her, gripping her shoulder in comfort.

"He's right. What became of a former saint who was banished is none of our concern." Bruno said this time, giving a sharp look to Xenovia. "Now let's go."

"Even if she was banished, to become a Devil is a rather large jump." Xenovia declared, ignoring Bruno's words and turning her body fully back to Asia. The blonde's head was bowed over, her hands gripping anxiously at her skirt. To be reminded so brutally of where she came from was no small thing to Asia. She was someone who believed fervently in God. And now she was a Devil. "I suppose once you've fallen that far, who knows how far you'll keep going."

"Why you-" Issei growled, taking a step forward before Koneko reached out, stopping him in his tracks. The brunette might have been pissed, but he let himself be stopped. _I'm not dumb. Starting a fight with these guys is a bad move for us… but I guess that's not something I'll have to worry about considering…_

"Oi oi, you keep shit talkin' Asia and I'll make you regret it." Okuyasu barked in annoyance, stomping one foot forward. Xenovia merely turned her gaze to him momentarily, narrowing her eyes in challenge. Josuke soon took a step up next to Okuyasu, placing a hand on his chest to keep him back.

"I'm not as aggressive as my friend here, but I don't like you talking down on Asia. She's like a little sister to me." Josuke declared, brow furrowing dangerously. "I'd be careful about what you say next."

"Xenovia, enough. You've made your point." Bruno spoke again, his voice sharper this time as he spoke and approached his comrade. "I told you, we didn't-"

"Do you still believe in God, Asia?" Xenovia spoke again, causing her leader to pause for a moment before glancing back at the blonde in question.

"How can that be? She's a Devil, Xenovia. There's no chance." Irina waved her hand in dismissal. Okuyasu narrowed his eyes before looking back at Asia, the former nun's eyes shaded by her hair. Josuke's eyes softened, knowing the answer to the question. He had still gone over to Issei's house a couple of nights to read her passages from the bible.

"No. There are those who have been reincarnated that remain pious at times. She seems to be one of them." Xenovia declared, eyes watching Asia carefully.

"I… I still do…" Asia admitted, causing all three exorcists to focus their attention back to her. "Even through the terrible times, I still believed… it was all I had for some time…"

"Asia…" Josuke muttered, a sympathetic gaze falling on her as he reached out and gently rubbed her back.

"I see. Then you should allow yourself to be executed by my blade." Tension suddenly filled the room with Xenovia's words, disbelief filling Josuke's and Okuyasu's expression as they looked at the blue haired exorcist. "If you allow that even in your sin, God may forgive you for your actions if you die now."

" **Xenovia**!" Bruno snapped in agitation, now seeing what borders she was crossing with this conversation.

"You piece of-" Issei started before quickly being stopped by Koneko, the white haired Devil keeping a firm grip on him. It didn't seem to matter, as someone else quickly got in Xenovia's face.

"Don't you utter another **fuckin' word** to her again." Josuke had been so taken off guard that his grip loosened on Okuyasu, the punk teen quickly taking the chance to meet Xenovia face to face.

"O-Okuyasu-san!" Asia muttered out, eyes wide as she watched him come face to face with the exorcist.

"Okuyasu, don't!" Rias reached out, panic spreading across her face.

"Xenovia, stop!" Bruno ordered, standing at the ready next to the two. He was tempted to get in the middle of them, but wasn't going to allow himself to be open to attack. While Bruno would like to keep things from escalating, Xenovia and Irina were his top priority of protection. As much as they might argue, he still felt a deep sense of protectiveness over them both. Even if it was Xenovia's fault this was happening. _Shit. This was exactly what I was trying to prevent._

"Oh? Are you willing to start a war over your friend's feelings? All I'm doing is showing pity for a fellow follower of the lord." Xenovia asked, her expression calm and her tone flat, but the small sneer on her lips only infuriated Okuyasu more.

"I ain't a Devil. I'm a Stand user. I don't understand all that Heaven and Hell shit, but I know that me kickin' your teeth in for talkin' shit won't start a war or nothin'." Okuyasu retorted, earning a raised brow from Xenovia and Bruno.

"Wait. You're a Stand user like Josuke Higashikata?" Bruno asked, some sweat now trailing down his brow. This presented at least some sort of compromise to the situation. Even if a fight broke out, as long as it stayed between them and not the Devils, it wouldn't mean war. "You're human?"

"He is. Okuyasu's like me, a friend of Rias but not her servant." Josuke declared, taking a step up to Bruno. "Which means that we're not going to be causing some political issue just by throwing a couple punches. We've got no technical ties that would make a big deal, right?" Josuke turned his gaze back to Xenovia, a sharp glare on his features. "To be honest, I'm glad Okuyasu spoke up first. I was just about to fly off the handle if he hadn't."

"Another human associated with Devils? Honestly, I'm not sure who might be worse. The witch or you two." Xenovia huffed, never breaking eye contact with Okuyasu.

"Asia's the kindest person I've ever known! I don't give a shit if she were a Devil or not. The same goes for everyone else! You bad mouth my pals, I'll fuckin' wreck you, bitch." Okuyasu growled as his hand gripped until it was white. He wanted to summon his Stand right then and there, but exercised a bit of control. He still wasn't sure how much trouble he might cause the others by breaking into a fight right now.

"Regardless of allegiances, we didn't come here for a fight Xenovia. Now back down." Bruno ordered, Reaching a hand out and gripping her shoulder firmly. Things might have been less complicated now, but that didn't mean Bruno was okay with the direction this was going.

"Why not let them fight it out?" Rias suddenly spoke, causing Bruno to blink in shock. "Honestly, I'm rather upset by what your comrade has said about one of my precious servants. I may not be willing to start a conflict over it, but I wouldn't mind watching the two settle the matter. Non lethally, of course. I can even provide a little field for them to fight."

Bruno opened his mouth to argue, only for Xenovia to speak up first. "If the Stand user wants to fight, I'll oblige him. Perhaps it will teach him the folly of becoming so friendly with Devils." Xenovia agreed, the grip on her cloth covered blade tightening.

"I normally don't like startin' fights with chicks, but you really know how to make me say fuck it." Okuyasu spat, eyes hiding no amount of rage.

"What do we do, Bruno?" Irina asked, concern covering her face as she looked around the room. Bruno did the same, seeing the wave of emotions that Xenovia had stirred up by simply talking. She was normally fine when it came to addressing other humans and those within the church, but Bruno realized that asking her to remain calm and shut up around a bunch of Devils was perhaps too much. He underestimated Xenovia's hate for their natural enemy.

 _I am at much at fault for this as her, I suppose._ Bruno sighed in defeat, reaching a hand up and rubbing his face tiredly. This certainly wasn't what he wanted when he walked onto the school grounds. But as things were, it was almost impossible to stop a fight from breaking out. He might as well make it less dangerous for either side by going along with it.

"Fine. You two can fight if you really wish. Where are we going to take this?"

 **To be continued…**

 **Do I hear a cliffhanger?**

 **So yeah, we won't be getting into their fight just yet. I thought I'd shake things up a bit by having it be Okuyasu instead of Issei starting this fight. Xenovia was pretty damn confrontational in canon when things started out. I thought that among the people involved in the matter, Okuyasu would definitely be the one to step up to the plate first. Issei is held back by his Devil obligations, but he has no such red tape.**

 **Also, yeah, I eliminated Kiba as a factor in the situation. Honestly, it felt weird for him to appear out of nowhere to fight the girls only to get wrecked and embarrassed. Plus, with the change of events, it makes sense to me that instead of wasting time in the meeting, he would go straight to searching the moment he realized the swords were in town.**

 **Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, please feel free to leave a review, a follow and a favorite for me! And Merry Christmas!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: I own neither Highschool DxD or JoJo's Bizarre Adventure**

Chapter 26

"What do you mean you had no idea?!"

The past hour for Kiba had been stressful, to say the least. To have found out through the exorcists of the church that his objective was now so close at hand was surreal. His recent stirrings of the subject did not seem to be a coincidence. The Excalibur pieces were close at hand. To think that they would come to him rather than the other way around was almost too good to be true for the blond knight. With the discovery of their current location revealed, Kiba didn't waste any time after leaving the clubroom. He had swiftly gotten in contact with all of his informants on the subject. But frustratingly enough, none of his people knew anything useful.

" _I-I'm sorry, Kiba! I had no idea! All I knew was that some Fallen Angels were comin' to town! After that, everyone is startin' to clear out, man!"_ His informant said, causing Kiba to grind his teeth in frustration.

"How is it that no one knows anything about where they are or why they're here?!" Kiba demanded, his anger boiling over like never before.

" _E-everyone's scared, Kiba! You gotta understand! If Fallen Angels are comin' in mass to Kuoh town even with yer Gremory clan already sittin' cozy here, then there's bound to be trouble! This is another Three Faction war in the making!"_ The man answered, his words causing a small amount of stillness in Kiba's anger. There was no denying that in hindsight, this turn of events was rather troubling for much larger reasons than Kiba's personal grudge.

"... Alright, fine. If no one knows anything, then nothing can be done about it." Kiba huffed, left hand reaching up to his face and rubbing it tiredly. "You should get out of town. This isn't something my master will be overlooking. Not to mention the church is already in town to deal with it."

" _You don't gotta tell me. I'm already packin' my bags and gettin' ready to set sail for Hawaii or somethin'... Sorry I couldn't help you out more, Kiba. But I ain't gonna stick my neck out with this kinda heat flyin' around."_

"I understand. Be careful out there. Just… if you do wind up hearing anything before you go, please inform me." Kiba sighed before hanging the phone up. Kiba found a nearby bench to sit on, collapsing onto it in exhaustion. Staring up at the sky, Kiba couldn't help but feel restless, yet unable to move from his spot. "They're so close… yet so far away from me…" he muttered, placing his forearm across his eyes.

"You look like you could use a smoke." Kiba barely registered the voice despite the familiarity, too caught in his own thoughts. Moving his arm slightly, he soon saw Hazel standing in front of him, an amused smile on her face. "Want one?" She asked, offering a cigarette to the blond.

"I have a feeling you would like to have a smoking partner if you offer them out like this." Kiba sighed, leaning forward on his elbows as he looked up at Hazel.

"Eh, just to guys I think are cute." Hazel shrugged, casually taking a seat next to him as she popped a cigarette in her mouth. "So what's eating you? You look like your cat died or something."

Kiba ignored her subtle flirt, sighing as he focused his eyes forward. While he obviously couldn't give her any real details, he found himself wanting to vent his frustrations. This day was a roller coaster of emotions for him, after all. "... I've been looking for something my whole life. Something that… destroyed the lives of those I care about. And today I found out its apparently… in this city. I just have to narrow down where exactly, but…" Kiba had said more than he intended, his words spilling out without warning. It was obvious how heavy his current predicament was weighing on him now.

"You only found out today and you're this worked up?" Hazel asked, a bit of surprise in her voice before releasing a sigh. "Geez, don't get too wound up just because it's close now. You've been waiting for who knows how long until now to find this thing. I think you can wait another day before you get your hands on it."

"You don't understand how important this is to me." Kiba huffed, hands gripping until they were white. "Years of looking and its finally here! If I can just find it, I'll-"

"Ever heard the term 'good things come to those who wait'?" Hazel suggested, causing Kiba to pause for a moment. "Relax. Try being a little more patient. You've waited this long so don't bust a blood vessel just because you can't find it at this very moment. You won't even get the chance to do what you want if you're completely spent by the time you find it."

Kiba opened his mouth but reluctantly remained silent. Hazel was right, surprisingly enough. Though it wasn't enough to completely cure the rising anxiety tightening up his chest. But still, it alleviated a bit of it. With a small chuckle, Kiba offered Hazel a small smirk. "You don't seem like the patient type."

Hazel let out a small laugh at that, a thin line of a smile spreading across her lips. "You'd be surprised. There's this one guy I've been tryin' to shack up with since I was young. He's not keen on my view of relationships, so I've been waiting for a chance to take him down. Putting in that kinda time really helps you learn how to be patient. Though hell if it doesn't make you feel pent up…"

"Didn't you… just hit on my friend Josuke not that long ago?" Kiba asked, blinking in question as he gave her words some thought.

"Hey. I told you he wasn't big on my view on relationships, didn't I?" Hazel giggled mischievously as she winked at Yuuto, the blond feeling a bit of sweat start to build up on his brow. Before their conversation could continue, Kiba felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Pulling it out, he immediately saw the Stand user in question's name appear on his phone.

"Speak of the devil. Tell the cutie I say hi." Hazel said, peering over his shoulder to see the name listed.

"He's likely just checking on me. I did leave rather abruptly earlier." Kiba sighed, quickly opening the message. But what he read was not what he was expecting, eyes widening in surprise.

 _Let's meet at the diner tonight. We can talk about the next move._

"So, what'd he say? Are you worrying your buddies, Knight-san?" Hazel asked playfully, only for Kiba to regard her with a hesitant look. Putting his phone away, Kiba offered a smile after standing from his seat.

"Thank you for your kind words, Yoyo-san. I have to get going. Perhaps I might see you at school." Kiba said, bowing in appreciation.

"Leaving already? Well, I guess I was right about the waiting thing, huh?" Hazel smiled before giving a wink and a wave. "Alright, Knight-san. Take care." She said, the blond Devil nodding before turning around to leave. Hazel watched him go, her eyes resting on his butt for a moment before putting her cigarette back in her mouth. "Looks like everyone's beginning to move. Things are about to escalate real quick. Better make sure everything is ready by then…"

* * *

"So… why am I fighting again?"

After Okuyasu and Xenovia's heated exchange, the two groups moved to the forest outlining the school. Putting up a small barrier around their location, Rias had assured that no outsiders would see or hear what was going on inside. Bruno was still reluctant over the situation, but knew that Xenovia was beyond stopping at this point. Letting her duke it out with Okuyasu instead was likely the best way to get her to calm down. Not that the lone male exorcist of the trio wanted this result. Especially when Irina suddenly jumped up and volunteered soon afterward to join in the fight. To which she called out Josuke to be her opponent for some reason.

"Because~, if they're fighting, why not join in?" Irina suggested with a confident smile. "It could be a lot of fun!"

"I don't know about all that…" Josuke muttered, rubbing the back of his neck before looking at Okuyasu. "You okay with this?"

"So long as you guys stay outta our way, I don't give a shit." Okuyasu huffed, eyes still fixated on Xenovia, who matched his glare with her own.

"Just great. Talk about a real grudge match. Though I can't say I blame you." Josuke huffed, sparing a glance at Xenovia. "Saying that shit to Asia was crossing the line."

"Just to remind everyone present, this fight is non-lethal. Do your best not to take things too far, got it? That means **you** Xenovia." Bruno warned with narrowed eyes, the lone male exorcist standing with Rias and her peerage to the side of the open field.

"Are you not interested in joining the fight?" Rias asked curiously, raising a brow at Bruno.

"I was against this fight from the beginning. If Xenovia wants to risk getting injured in battle over her pride, that's on her. At least your man can say that he's defending one of his friends. Xenovia doesn't have that excuse." Bruno sighed, shaking his head tiredly. "But perhaps its better to let her get this out now so that it doesn't distract from our mission in the long run."

"I can hear you, Bruno." Xenovia huffed, her normally flat tone conveying a bit of indignance at his words.

"Indeed. Now if only you would heed what I have to say instead of having it go in one ear and out the other." Bruno retorted without batting an eye, earning a small glare from the blue haired exorcist.

"Hey, I've been meaning to ask about this, but is this fight really fair?" Issei spoke up, turning the group's attention to him. "Normal people can't usually see Stands, right? I know they're from the church and all, but that should apply to you guys too, shouldn't it?"

"If what the reports said were correct, you were Josuke Higashikata's friend before becoming a Devil, correct? Were you able to see his Stand?" Bruno asked, the brunette nodding in confirmation. "As I'm sure you know now, that was because of your Sacred Gear. Sacred Gears grant what one might call a spiritual awareness, which in turn gives you the ability to see Stands. Like your Sacred Gear, learning holy arts and becoming a wielder of holy light weapons, especially ones like Excalibur, grant this same awareness. It isn't a problem for them to see Stands. Even if they can't damage them."

"You seem to have studied quite a bit on Stands, haven't you?" Rias asked suspiciously, raising a brow at Bruno. "Are you normally tasked for assignments involving Stands?"

"Normally, as I'm sure you know as well, Stand activity is left to the Speedwagon Foundation to deal with." Bruno pointed out, Rias nodding in acknowledgement. "But in Italy a criminal organization that has been able to hide itself from their sight with their influence. Sometimes, the church and this criminal organization are forced to clash. This crime syndicate has associated with the supernatural and its members rely heavily on Stand users."

"A criminal organization that uses Stands?" Rias muttered in disbelief, a bead of sweat trailing down her brow. "I've heard of the power struggle the church has in parts of Italy, but I hadn't realized that it was such a serious situation…"

"The boss of the organization is no fool, either. He has allied himself with resourceful beings and has been able to keep his true identity hidden from even the Church." Bruno explained, his brow furrowing as he thought of it further. "Passione is their name… and they are in control of many different Stand users. We have yet to identify them all, as well."

"Jotaro-san would be troubled to hear about all of that…" Rias muttered, holding her chin in thought.

"We've had to do a few missions fighting some crazy Stand users!" Irina spoke up this time with her usual upbeat tone. "But it's okay, Bruno is a Stand user too, after all!"

Rias and her peerage widened their eyes, Josuke and Okuyasu suddenly turning their attention to the exorcist leader in disbelief for a moment. With a heavy sigh, Bruno brought his hand up to his face and rubbed it tiredly. "Irina… there was a reason I had not revealed that detail to them."

"Huh? Oh…" Irina hummed, looking up in thought before rubbing the back of her head nervously. "Sorry~!"

"So, you were attempting to conceal your true powers from us?" Rias asked, eyes narrowing as she turned to Bruno fully, crossing her arms under her ample breasts. "And here I thought we were getting along, Bucciarati-san."

"While I don't believe you to be our enemies, I also don't believe you are all trustworthy." Bruno declared, turning to Rias and meeting her gaze. "I have given you ample information and courtesy. I'm sure you understand why I do not feel obligated to share too much about myself or my capabilities."

Rias and Bruno stared eye to eye for a moment, a tense atmosphere growing that caused Issei to swallow his spit. Josuke and Okuyasu were even distracted from their opponents for a moment, the two watching with apprehension to see what would become of the exchange. This was the first time that Rias had pointed her anger at the lone male exorcist as he had been cooperative and even considerate of everyone's position.

But as heavy as the air felt, it immediately lightened when Rias gave a small smile. "You're right. Neither of us has any reason to trust one another beyond what involves this town. I haven't revealed to you everything of us. I shouldn't expect any more from you."

"I'm glad you understand. Know that it's nothing personal, but I prefer to play things close to the chest rather than expose my hand." Bruno nodded, earning a collective breath of relief from Issei, Josuke and Irina. The two leaders turned back to the makeshift battlefield, now taking more interest in what lie before them. "Though I can't say the same for my subordinates. Though in all fairness, their powers lack subtlety in the first place."

"Speaking of hidden powers, that does remind me." Rias hummed, turning her gaze to the punk Stand user. "Okuyasu-san, I'd like to place a rule on you for this fight. It might seem unfair, but it's necessary considering the nature of your Stand. You are not allowed to use it directly on the exorcist's blade, understood?"

"Huh?! Wh-why not, though?! It'd make things super easy!" Okuyasu complained with a pouty bottom lip. Xenovia blinked in shock, narrowing her eyes in irritation before shifting her gaze to Rias.

"If he thinks it will be so easy to defeat me that way, then allow him to use it as he pleases. No need for a handicap." Xenovia argued, though Bruno quickly held his hand up to silence her.

"That is indeed strange of you to place such a restriction on your friend. Why do that?" Bruno asked, his own curiosity now quite high since it would undoubtedly put Okuyasu at a disadvantage.

"Okuyasu's ability is… a special case, as I'm sure you'll find out." Rias explained vaguely, giving Bruno a small but mischievous smile. "But this is a safety precaution. Even if this battle has been labelled a 'friendly' bout, Okuyasu's Stand might affect the blade in unsuspecting ways. I would hate for an incident to be caused due to carelessness. Wouldn't you?"

Bruno raised a brow at this, unsure what exactly Rias meant due to his own lack of information. Looking back at the dumb teen, Bruno couldn't help but question his ability to somehow affect the massively powerful Excalibur blade. Especially the one that Xenovia possessed. _Even if his Stand ability is powerful, could it really mess with Durandal?_ But knowing that Rias was no fool, Bruno decided to take her word on the matter. "... I'll trust you know what you're doing. I have no objection."

"She's right, Okuyasu. Try to be careful when you swing that power around." Josuke added, earning a grumble of indignance from Okuyasu.

"Fine, fine. Guess I won't do that, then…"

"I get the feeling you're all underestimating me." Xenovia declared, eyes narrowing in offense before she reached up and grabbed the cloth wrapped blade from her back. With a quick pull, Xenovia removed her cloak, revealing a skin tight black leotard and boots that cut off at the arms and thighs. Irina quickly followed suit, wearing a similar outfit as her partner, the two tossing their cloaks behind them. "I'm going to make you rethink that handicap." The cloth immediately fell to the side, revealing a large dark blue buster blade, beautiful in both appearance and edge. Okuyasu didn't seem deterred though, walking forward and stuffing his hands in his pockets.

 **(Highschool DXD OST: Kettou)**

"We'll see about that, dumbass." Okuyasu's Stand immediately took shape in front of him, the blue and white armored being spreading its arms wide. Rias took a step to the side of the ring and looked around at the duos to assure they were ready before raising her hand.

"Begin!"

"Begone!" Xenovia roared, beginning to swing her blade around in an attempt to create a shockwave.

 ***THUUUUUM***

"Too slow!" Okuyasu growled back, **The Hand** swinging its arm in an arc before Xenovia could complete her swing. Space warped in the trail left by Okuyasu's power, Xenovia widening her eyes as she felt a force immediately tug on her. In the next moment, both her and Bruno watched with complete shock as she was suddenly pulled right in front of Okuyasu. "Now you're in my range." Okuyasu grinned wickedly, his stand closing its fist before raining forth a barrage of punches.

"Xenovia! Get away from him! Its a close range Stand like mine!" Bruno shouted in urgency, the blue haired exorcist barely able to register his words as she brought her blade around to block. The mad rush of punches proved difficult to block, Xenovia gritting her teeth as sweat dripped down her brow.

 **SHAAA!** With a wind up, the Stand slammed its fist hard against the blade, causing Xenovia to skid back against the ground several feet back, the pressure exceeding her expectations. Bruno watched with worry, trying to sort out exactly what had happened when Xenovia was pulled forward.

"Have you figured out his ability yet?" Rias asked, approaching him from the side with a small smile of amusement. Bruno was silent at first, eyes transfixed on the battle for a moment before finally regarding her.

"His ability… did he just erase space?" Bruno asked slowly, the idea being ludicrous if not for the fact that Stands were capable of many ludicrous powers. But something so simple yet so dangerous was something that Bruno had yet to witness for himself.

"That's correct. His Stand, **The Hand** , has the ability to erase anything and everything in its path with its right hand." Rias explained, Bruno feeling a small sense of awe after hearing his thoughts to be proven correct. "To be honest, only a few Stand users come to mind in terms of greater power by comparison. If Okuyasu-san was a bit smarter, I'd say he'd be close to unstoppable," she giggled, knowing that it was the punk teen's lack of intelligence that holds him back at times.

"Oops. I probably coulda just phased through the sword, huh?" Okuyasu mumbled aloud, remembering the capabilities of his Stand, before smirking. "You better watch out from here on. If I make a small slip up, I might just erase ya." Okuyasu warned, eyes narrowing at Xenovia as he took a step forward.

"That power… is insane…" Xenovia muttered to herself, a bead of sweat rolling down her cheek. "I can't let him get near me at all." Swinging her blade back, Xenovia didn't want to waste any time, launching a powerful blade of energy flying straight for the punk Stand user. Okuyasu didn't flinch, his Stand appearing before him again.

 ***THUUUUM***

With a single swipe of its arm, **The Hand** erased the flying attack with ease. Xenovia widened her eyes in disbelief, beginning to fully realize just what Okuyasu's power was capable of. She had fought several Stand users up to this point, but most of the abilities involving the Stands were fairly indirect, meant to get you with its complicated and daunting effect rather than the straight forwardness that Bruno's **Sticky Fingers** possessed. With only a couple exceptions, Xenovia had been able to defeat Stand users relatively easily once she had found them for a direct attack.

But this was completely different. This wasn't even like when she trained with Bruno, who helped tutor her about what to do when encountering a close range Stand. Not only did Okuyasu only need one swing to beat her, Okuyasu could make her come to him at will. It could compensate for his type of Stand's biggest weakness without breaking a sweat. Xenovia needed to cancel out one of his strengths, thinking back to her training with Bruno.

"I've always hated indirect fighting… but I don't think I have a choice." Xenovia declared with a sigh, placing the edge of her blade on the ground. With a quick spin, a cloud of dirt and dust erupted from the ground, completely veiling herself from the naked eye.

"Damn it, you're gonna hide?! Don't think that'll work!" Okuyasu growled in irritation, quickly rushing into the cloud without hesitation.

"Concealing herself to keep from having to deal with his ability to wipe space. Smart strategy." Rias commented before sparing a glance toward Bruno. "Considering your words, I take it you helped train her in dealing with close range Stands."

"I gave her some tips and showed her what a Stand can be capable of, but that was all I could really supply her with considering the diversity in abilities between Stands." Bruno admitted, admittedly impressed with Xenovia's decision to make the battle less about brute force. "Xenovia isn't very intelligent in most matters, but she has always been very impressive on the battlefield. While her forte is brute force in battle, she has strong instincts to help her combat her enemies."

"Man, are those two really planning to go all out? One wrong move in there and they could end up killing each other on accident." Josuke muttered as he watched the clash from the side.

"Josuke~, you're supposed to be fighting me! Not watching them!" Irina complained, swinging her arms indignantly. Though it was apparent that she was watching their battle as well since she had yet to attack Josuke either.

"Oh, right… why are we fighting again?" Josuke asked with disinterest, tilting his head in question.

"Because~, I wanna be part of the action, too!" Irina whined, earning deadpan from her 'opponent'. "Besides, don't you think this is perfect? I mean, two of my childhood friends now involved with Devils! One has become one himself, but you have yet to go down that road!" Irina suddenly did a dramatic swoon, turning her back to Josuke as she gave a deep sigh. "This has to be some sort of trial from God! Perhaps by defeating you, I can show you the light! I can give you a chance to save your soul before it's too late! And so, with this battle, I will overcome this trial!" Irina proclaimed, earning disbelieving and dumbfounded looks from Josuke, Rias, and her peerage. Bruno simply sighed in resignation, this sort of behavior now all too familiar to him now.

"... You know, I forgot how self-centered you used to be." Josuke strained a laugh, eyelid unconsciously twitching as he pointed at the girl. "You always liked to pick the games we played at the park and do things you liked doing… I guess joining the church didn't really change that."

"Oh, you have no idea." Bruno blanched without hesitation, causing Irina to pout.

"Bruno~, you're not supposed to agree with him!" Irina complained before shaking her head and touching the band on her arm. Forming from light, it quickly shifted its shape to a katana, earning a raised brow from Josuke. "Now then, let's get started! With my holy blade, I shall cleanse thy body with the light of God!"

"That just sounds like you're going to cut me up with it."

"Here I go~!" Irina cried out, rushing forward at Josuke with surprising speed. Despite this, Josuke didn't move, a pink aura surrounding his body as his Stand formed in a flash of silver energy.

 **DORA!** With blinding speed, **Crazy Diamond** threw a punch directly at Irina's face, stopping just short of making impact and causing her to come to a full stop. The twin tailed ginger suddenly felt her body tremble, mouth agape as she stared at the Stand that came centimeters away from knocking her teeth out.

"Irina! I told you never to rush at a Stand user until you've figured out what the type and abilities are!" Bruno scolded her, the orangette feeling sweat trailing down her face. "But remarkable… two close range Stands. And from just what Josuke showed, his is incredibly fast… perhaps faster than mine," he mused, no less impressed with **Crazy Diamond**. In contrast to his Stand which, while muscular, it was nearly twice the size in muscle mass.

"Now that you know what my Stand can do, you wanna give up?" Josuke asked, sighing as he withdrew his Stand for a moment to look at Irina still comically trembling.

"Perhaps you should knock her out, Josuke-kun? You know, just to make sure." Akeno suggested with a giggle, her words brutal despite her tone.

"Teach her to stay away." Koneko huffed quietly, her eyes shadowed in a way that made her look menacing. A dark cloud hanging over Akeno and Koneko as they watched from the sidelines. Issei took a small step away from the two, an unusually evil atmosphere surrounding them both. They were obviously both still displeased with Irina's casual address of Josuke.

"Geez, that's kinda harsh, you guys…" Josuke muttered, a bead of sweat trailing down his brow as he spared them a glance.

"N-no! I-I just got excited is all!" Irina exclaimed, shaking her head to clear herself of any fear. "I-I won't fall for it again! This time I'll definitely get-huh?" Irina stopped mid rant as Josuke had closed the distance, blinking in question before realizing his plan. Josuke quickly wrapped his arm around her neck and pulled her into a standing headlock, not choking her but keeping her secure and unable to escape under his armpit, head pinned to his side. His other hand grabbed the wrist holding her sword, keeping her from swinging it freely in case she tried to throw him off.

"Well, if you're gonna insist on fighting, I guess I can just keep you like this." Josuke teased with a big grin, half tempted to give Irina a noogie for her troubles.

" **No~**! You used to do this to me when we were kids! You're so mean, Josuke!" Irina whined, swinging her free arm childishly as she attempted and failed to escape from his grip.

"Just be glad you're not fighting Issei. He would have blown your clothes off if he got the chance." Josuke shrugged casually, letting out a yawn as he kept the headlock going strong. Not leaving it to chance, he overlapped his arm with **Crazy Diamond** in case Irina was stronger than she looked. "He became a huge pervert since the last time you saw him."

"Eh?! So not only is he a Devil, but also a lech?!" Irina gasped, pouting as she heard this. "Oh how the years have changed you both… if only I could help you… but first let me go!" Irina cried out, struggling as much as possible to escape.

"That fight is… something else…" Issei mumbled, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"I sometimes strain to think why she does these things." Bruno grumbled, rubbing his face tiredly. "Let's just focus back on the other fight."

"Yeah…" Rias, Asia, and Issei nodded numbly in agreement. Koneko and Akeno didn't answer, their gazes fixed on Josuke as he continued to bully Irina for their 'fight'. They were more concerned with what might 'accidently' happen while the two fought. Considering the amount of perverse things that happen to their group, they wouldn't be surprised if something turned out that way just from their little bout.

"Where the hell are you hidin'?!" Okuyasu snapped as he covered his mouth, running through the lingering dust cloud. He saw small flashes through the dirt filled air, unsure what they were but keeping **The Hand** ready in case they were attacks. What he didn't realize was that it was Xenovia simply moving around and striking the ground, making sure that the dust cloud persevered and that her cover was still strong. "I didn't think you'd be coward like this! You were actin' all tough!"

"Your Stand is dangerous, I'll give you that." Xenovia suddenly said, her voice echoing through the dust and making it hard to determine her location. "But I've trained with Bruno. We've come up with several strategies for dealing with a Stand like yours. I don't plan on letting you beat me that easily."

"Tch, I ain't lettin' you win either. You're gonna apologize to Asia for all the shit you said." Okuyasu snarled, coughing a bit from the amount of dirt in the air. His eyes darted around, looking for any small movement that might approach him. He listened as closely as possible, hoping to hear her should Xenovia attack him from behind. Hearing a small tussel of sound, Okuyasu saw veiled blur approaching him quickly from behind, gritting his teeth as he pointed forward. "Found you! **The Hand**!" He growled out, his Stand materializing and and throwing a barrage of punches. Much to his shock, the figure was suddenly hollow, his Stand punching through it. Taking a closer look, Okuyasu soon realized it was only her cloak that he had punched through. "Wh-what?!"

"You're open!" Xenovia declared as she suddenly dashed forward from the cloud behind him, rearing her blade back and preparing to cut him across the back. Okuyasu moved on instinct, his Stand quickly swapping sides and putting its arms up in defense. Xenovia brought her blade forward, her attack blocked by **The Hand** but not stopping her push. With great force, she knocked Okuyasu and his Stand back, sending them sailing through the air.

"Sh-shit!" Okuyasu gasped. While Xenovia's blade could not harm his Stand, the knock back from the pressure was still powerful, the punk teen impacting against against a tree and coughing up blood from the damage.

"Okuyasu!" Issei cried out in shock, suddenly becoming fearful for his friend.

"Okuyasu-san!" Asia cried out, trembling as she watched the ensuing battle. "I-I didn't want this! Please stop before-"

"Hell no!" Okuyasu snapped, though it caused him a bit of internal pain as he struggled to push himself off the ground with the support of the tree. "I told you, didn't I...? She's gonna fuckin' apologize!"

"I admire your spirit." Xenovia exclaimed, bursting forth from the dust cloud and raising her blade for another strike. "But this is my win!" she exclaimed, quickly bringing her Excalibur forward.

"Not on your damn life!" Okuyasu snarled, **The Hand** materializing once again and swinging its fist forward, meeting her blade and clashing. The impact caused a shockwave to erupt around them, both gritting their teeth as they struggled against one another's strength. **The Hand** swung its free hand forward, launching a punch directly into Xenovia's gut this time and causing her to buckle over in pain.

"Xenovia! Stop trying to fight it up close!" Bruno ordered, a bit of sweat forming on his brow in nervousness. As much as he wanted her to learn a lesson, Bruno found himself supporting her regardless. She was part of his team, after all.

"Now its over, bastard!" Okuyasu spat, standing up and preparing to land another punch with his Stand.

"We'll see…" Xenovia coughed, glaring up at him before taking a step back and out of his Stand's range for a moment. Okuyasu prepared to wipe space to close the distance between them, only stopping for a moment as Xenovia spun her blade in hand so that it was now aimed at the ground. "I will show you the power of Excalibur of Destruction!" She exclaimed, letting out a roar before she struck the ground with great force. The result was a powerful quake as the earth beneath her gave way, causing the others around them to stumble on their feet. Josuke and Irina suddenly fell back, Josuke losing his grip on the girl and letting her go.

"What the hell kind of power was that?!" Josuke muttered in awe, sweat trailing down his face before widening his eyes. "Okuyasu!"

"She certainly doesn't like to hold back…" Rias muttered, concern coloring her face as she searched the field for the two fighters.

"I-is he okay?!" Asia asked fearfully, gripping her skirt in nervousness.

At the center of the crater, Xenovia still stood there leaning against her blade, taking several breaths of exhaustion. The punch by the Stand had knocked a good deal of wind out of her, but she wasn't planning to let that stop her now. Looking up from her spot, Xenovia narrowed her eyes. "The damage shouldn't have killed him since it wasn't direct, but the wave should have knocked him-" the bluenette widened her eyes, suddenly realizing that Okuyasu wasn't on the ground where the tree once stood before it was blown away by the force, eyes darting around for her opponent. "What?! Where is he?!"

 **(JoJo's Bizarre Adventure OST: The Hand)**

"Up here, dumbass." quickly looking up, she soon found her answer. Somehow, Okuyasu was now in the air above her, teeth clenched as he was now descending toward her. "I was gonna wipe the space between us, but when I saw what you were gonna do, I just swiped the air above me to dodge it. Now I'm comin' to you!"

 **SHOOORA!**

This time, the Stand brought its leg around for a kick aimed directly at Xenovia's head. On instinct, the exorcist brought her blade up to block, but watched in disbelief as this time the Stand phased through the blade. With great force, **The Hand** landed a powerful kick across her jaw, causing the bluenette to whip her head to the side from the impact, falling to the ground on her stomach. Okuyasu landed on the ground, hands in his pockets as he stooped over Xenovia. Her blade was out of reach and Okuyasu was between her and her weapon. "You're done! I don't like beatin' on women, so hurry up and apologize to Asia!"

"I… am a member of the church…" Xenovia growled out, pushing off the ground and sending a heated glare back at Okuyasu. "I haven't given up… and I refuse to apologize to a Devil!"

"Tch. You're tough, I'll give you that." Okuyasu huffed, eyes narrowing as he took another step forward. "But that shit you said crossed the line. Asia suffered while you assholes sat back and let her get banished. You don't have the high ground here! And I'll keep lightin' you up until it's over!"

"Then come at me!" Xenovia exclaimed, turning her body fully and preparing to take any damage he planned to dish out. "I won't lose!"

"We'll see about tha-" Okuyasu suddenly stopped in his tracks, eyes going wide for a moment. Xenovia blinked in surprise fully expecting him to unleash a rain of punches upon her. Without warning, his nose started to bleed, his cheeks immediately flushing before he put his hand over his face. "H-h-hey! A-at least cover up, damn it! Th-that-that's not fair!"

Xenovia raised a brow, unsure what Okuyasu was talking about before looking down at her body. Much to her own surprise, it seemed that part of her battle suit had been tattered during the clash. Likely when she slammed her sword into the ground. Okuyasu hadn't noticed because he was on the attack. The result of her tattered clothes was one of her breasts being exposed.

Xenovia wasn't sure how to respond, quickly looking up at Okuyasu while shielding her exposed body. But seeing that he was distracted and flustered, she decided to take advantage of the situation. Raising one leg, Xenovia lashed out with her long heeled boot right into the Stand user's most sacred place.

" **GAAAaa** aah…" Okuyasu tried to cry out, his voice fading into a squeak due to the blow his family jewels just took. Buckling over with his hands on his crotch, Okuyasu fell on the ground next to Xenovia, his face contorted in a goofy manner. "That was dirty…" He grunted out quietly, eyes rolling back from the pain.

Xenovia hesitated for a moment, actually feeling a bit remorseful for the move but quickly dismissed the notion. She rushed to her blade, quickly picking it up before pointing it at Okuyasu. "Do you yield?" She asked, eyes narrowed as she stared down at her opponent's fetal form.

"N-never… not 'til you apologize…" Okuyasu squeaked out again, **The Hand** forming above him in protection. While he was definitely not intimidating in his current position, he was still capable of fighting her back.

"I think that's enough." The two paused, glancing up from the crater to see Rias and Bruno standing at the edge. "You two will likely end up killing each other if this goes any further. We'll call it a draw, for now." Bruno declared, causing the two to tense up in annoyance.

"Bullshit, I was winning!" Okuyasu huffed out, though his voice was still low and pained.

"Coming from the man lying on the ground holding his crotch." Xenovia retorted, glaring back down at Okuyasu indignantly.

"This fight is over. No more petty squabbling, you two. Appreciate the fact that you were allowed to clash in the first place." Rias sighed, realizing that they were both just being childish at this point. Xenovia and Okuyasu wanted to argue further in favor of continuing their fight, but the glares of their respective leaders caused them to remain silent.

Bruno moved down the crater with his eyes closed, quickly wrapping Xenovia's cloak around her to conceal her exposed breast. "I hope you're still capable of fighting after all that. I need you to be in top shape for when we find the blades." He pointed out, though there was a hint of concern in his voice that was almost impossible to hear for most.

"I'm fine… I'll just get some rest at the hotel." Xenovia disregarded, hiding the fact that she was actually in quite a bit of pain. She had a bruise on her cheek from the kick and she felt her ribs aching from the punch that **The Hand** delivered before.

"You okay, dude?" Issei asked, quickly rushing down the crater and helping Okuyasu to his feet. The punk teen let out a pained groan, his body still tensed up.

"She hit me right in the balls… with a friggin' heel Issei…" Okuyasu rumbled out, grabbing the brunette's shoulder to lean on for support. "I hope I can still have kids, damn it…"

"You're fine." Issei chuckled, hoisting his arm over his shoulder before helping him climb out. They quickly rejoined their respective friends, Josuke looking a little tattered himself while Irina looked completely fine. Asia was standing at his side, using her Twilight Healing on him.

Okuyasu blinked for a moment in shock, pointing at Josuke. "N-no way! Did she kick your ass, Josuke?!" Okuyasu blurted out, the purple haired teen blinking in surprise before his face flared up red.

"N-no… this isn't actually from her…" Josuke mumbled, sparing a small glance sideways to see Akeno and Koneko standing close at his side, the former giving him a smile that couldn't mask her dark aura while the latter was glaring in irritation.

"Pervert." Koneko huffed, Josuke immediately wincing in embarrassment.

"It was an accident, I swear!" Josuke blanched, his face only turning different shades of red now.

"Wh-what happened?" Okuyasu asked in confusion, Issei giving a sheepish chuckle.

"Well, when that chick you were fighting did that huge move, Josuke got knocked over with Irina and ended up uh… falling on top of her. And grabbed her boobs." Josuke flinched at the mention of it, turning his face away from them in a weak attempt to hide his embarrassment.

"So he says. But part of me thinks it was intentional." Akeno giggled out darkly, causing the tall teen to tense up and take a small step away from her. "After all, you're old 'friends', correct?"

"But it wasn't! You guys didn't have to jump me for it, too! You know I never do stuff like that!" Josuke complained weakly, keeping his arms wrapped around his body in a weak attempt to protect himself.

"I'm pretty sure they were just jealous…" Issei mumbled quiet enough for only him and Okuyasu to hear.

"You all certainly have an… interesting dynamic as a group." Bruno commented offhandedly, raising a brow as he glanced around at the Devils and Stand users. "Though I don't believe our dynamic is any more normal considering my associates' attitudes." He sighed, glancing at Irina and Xenovia.

"It was all in good fun and the name of God, right? I think it's fine!" Irina giggled dismissively, causing her leader to roll his eyes.

"Consider yourself lucky." Xenovia huffed, sending a sideways glare back at Okuyasu.

"Keep tellin' yourself that, dumbass." Okuyasu growled indignantly, already wanting to go another round with her.

"We already said that was enough. Please refrain from any further provocations, Okuyasu." Rias said, causing the punk teen to flinch, mumbling dejectedly as he obeyed.

"Well, this wasn't how I pictured this meeting to go, but I suppose it will have to do." Bruno said, turning his back to the Devils and motioning for his partners to follow. "It was certainly interesting to speak with you all. We shall be taking our leave, now."

"One moment, before you go." Rias called out, causing Bruno to hesitate and spare her a glance. "There is one thing I'm quite curious about. Do you know who the Fallen Angels are that have taken the blades? Or are they a small splinter group that happened to get lucky and get their hands on it? We had something a bit similar happen not too long ago."

"If only it were that simple." Bruno relented with a sigh, turning back to Rias as he regarded her again. "No. It's a leader of the Grigori, Kokabiel, who is in possession of the remaining Excalibur pieces."

Rias tensed at the name, blinking in complete shock. "They tasked only the three of you with challenging a leader class? Is this some sort of suicide mission?" Rias asked, knowing that such a task would normally be far too difficult with such a small number.

"What's the Grigori?" Issei asked in confusion, glancing at his fellow Devils for answers.

"The Grigori is the largest faction of Fallen Angels. You could say they are the central government of their kind." Akeno explained, her brow furrowing seriously at the mention of it. "They are also referred to as the Watchers of the Children of God."

"We're willing to do whatever is necessary to make sure that the Fallen Angels do not use the Excalibur blades." Xenovia said, sparing a glance at Rias with conviction. "Even if it means sacrificing our lives to stop them."

"We're well aware of the dangers." Irina explained, for the first time her expression somber. "One of our contacts that was in town to survey the situation was killed before we found him."

"Considering the nature of his wounds, we were only able to determine that it was a holy blade that did the damage, not a spear of light or some demonic energy." Bruno explained, closing his eyes in thought as he crossed his arms. "Regardless, I don't plan on allowing the three of us to become martyrs in this situation. My job is to make sure we accomplish our mission without losing someone. So neither of you better try to resort to such a tactic unless it's utterly impossible to avoid it."

"Of course! It'd be a great honor to die on such a mission from God, but I'd like to keep working hard together!" Irina giggled, flashing a kind smile to their leader.

"We'll be relying on you to make plans that keep us alive, then." Xenovia said, trusting in her leader despite their usual friction.

"Wait." Josuke called out, causing Bruno to raise a brow as he approached the three and walked straight to him. He held out a hand to shake, catching Bruno a bit off guard. "I know our groups might not get along but I wanted to wish you luck. It sounds like you'll need it with what you're about to fight."

Bruno seemed hesitant at first before realizing there was a paper in Josuke's hand. Unsure of what it was, Bruno decided to accept, reaching out and shaking his hand. "Thank you. Though many in my line of work might say there is no such thing." Bruno said, though there was the smallest amount of humor in his tone. Josuke made sure that the paper was firmly caught in his grip before letting go, turning around and heading back to his friends. Bruno stared down at the paper curiously but quickly concealed it, realizing that Josuke had been hiding it from Rias.

"Let's depart." Bruno told the two, quickly turning his back without another word. As the three walked through the treeline, he waited until Rias and the rest were out of sight, pulling the folded piece of paper out from his pocket.

"What's that?" Irina asked, peering over his shoulder curiously.

"Josuke Higashikata handed this to me when he shook my hand. Apparently there's something he wants to tell us without Rias' knowledge." Bruno explained, unfolding the paper in his hand and raising a brow.

"What does it say? Do they actually have him under some sort of spell?" Xenovia questioned, leaning over his other shoulder to see.

"I doubt it. It looks like he wants to meet, though."

 _We need to talk about the swords. Meet us later tonight at nine o'clock at the Magot cafe._

* * *

The night moved on from that point at a snail pace for the club. Rias had called Kiba out of concern, afraid he might do something brash or even might leave her after hearing such news on the holy blade. Much to her relief, Yuuto had answered her call and given Rias reassurance that he just needed some time off, his master quickly approving to allow him space for the moment. She knew exactly how sensitive the subject was for him and hoped that Yuuto would not try anything reckless. So with that, Rias ushered her servants to carry on as usual, each one going out to their contracts for the night while Okuyasu and Josuke decided to head home.

This ended up working out for the boys, as it meant that they could meet without garnering suspicion from Rias. Issei was able to cut his contract short for the day and Kiba had already been waiting for them at the cafe. Josuke and Okuyasu arrived two hours earlier, having no previous obligations aside from homework to keep them from going. Josuke also wanted to discuss the plan that he and Issei had formulated together with Kiba and Okuyasu. Though by the end of the conversation, neither was particularly happy with the suggestion. Still, they had decided to hear them out and

The church trio surprisingly arrived on time, though Josuke guessed that it was Bruno who kept them punctual. With everyone gathered, the odd group of seven converged to a large private table together. As they took their seats, a small awkward silence fell between the three, mostly because Xenovia and Okuyasu were sending dirty looks at one another. As childish as it was, the others decided to ignore them as they got down to business.

"I was a little surprised to have you call us here the way you did. Especially with two of your Devil friends being here. I suspected that perhaps you were attempting to work outside the knowledge of her peerage." Bruno commented, leaning back in his chair as he assessed the four in front of him. "You wanted to talk about the Excalibur pieces?"

"That's right. This is a pretty important subject to our friend here, Kiba." Josuke said, motioning to the blond knight sitting on his left. Yuuto was quiet since they arrived, showing obvious hesitation in the plan that Josuke had suggested after arriving. "Which is why I asked you to come here. This is staying between the four of us and your group. We're trying to keep the others out of it so we don't cause them trouble. The reason I asked you to come here is because we'd like to help you guys recover the Excalibur blades."

Bruno raised a brow at that, Xenovia and Irina letting out confused sounds at this revelation. "That is a surprising offer. I honestly hadn't suspected that to be the purpose behind your meeting. And might I ask what you want in exchange for your cooperation?"

"From the sound of it, you guys have been ready since the beginning to destroy the blade pieces, right?" Josuke asked for clarity.

"Our mission is to keep them out of the hands of the Fallen Angels. The church would like us to recover them, but if its not possible, they don't mind if its destroyed completely instead. Considering our enemy and his power, that is likely to be the result." Bruno elaborated for them, nodding an acceptance.

"Well, if that's the case, then let us destroy them." Issei suggested, his brow hardening as he spoke this time. "Kiba wants to be the one to do it, though we know it might not be as easy as hitting them really hard. But it'd mean a lot to him if we helped deal the final blow on it."

Bruno hummed in thought, holding his chin before sparing a glance at Kiba. It was easy to see the reluctance in his gaze, distrust coloring his face as they locked eyes. "You've been quiet despite the fact that these two have been speaking on your behalf. If it means so much to you, then speak for yourself."

"My apologies, but I've been keeping quiet at their bidding." Kiba huffed, his glare strengthening. "I was initially against the idea of working with you three when we could try and accomplish this ourselves, but my friends think it's necessary to have you on our side."

"You guys seem to know more about what's going on with the Fallen Angels than anyone else right now." Josuke quickly cut in, hoping to be the voice of reason. "We don't want to run around town like chickens with their heads cut off. It'll be easier if we work together. Not to mention it means a better chance of you guys making it out of this mess alive."

"Honestly, I'm okay with it!" Irina cheered, offering a carefree smile. "The more people we have, the less dangerous, right? I think we should accept!" Irina suggested, giving a bit of a pleading look to Xenovia and Bruno. The male exorcist seemed to be in thought while the bluenette only hummed.

"In most cases I would be against the idea, but… this seems like a reasonable arrangement." Xenovia said, causing both Bruno and Irina to blink in shock as they turned to her. "What?"

"I'm… dumbfounded that you accepted the idea of their assistance so easily." Bruno admitted, unable to hide his shock. "Why the sudden willingness to cooperate with Devils?"

"As much as the idea might irk me, we all knew how low our chances of success were. You pounded that into us before we even departed. After all, our enemy is Kokabiel, a leader of the Grigori." Xenovia reminded him, the lone Stand user of the trio nodding in understanding. "As willing as I am to die for God, I am also inclined to follow your lead. I'd also like to keep working with you both. You said the same, didn't you?"

Bruno opened his mouth before closing it. Giving Xenovia a small smirk, Bruno nodded in agreement. Looking back at the Devils and Stand users, Bruno's expression became neutral once again. "Before I give my consent to this arrangement, I would like to confirm something. Are you the lone survivor of the Holy Sword project?"

The four friends widened their eyes, all eyes falling on Kiba who suddenly gripped his hand anxiously. "So what if I am?" Kiba asked, his voice low and dangerous.

"Ah, now it makes sense. I suppose I understand your resentment better now." Xenovia suddenly spoke, earning a raised brow from Kiba.

"Don't misunderstand. Your relation to that terrible project does not usher any animosity from us." Bruno declared, his words causing Kiba to slightly loosen up. "In fact, I would consider it the opposite. That project was considered a mark on the name of the Church and the man in charge of it was branded a heretic. Valper Galilei."

 _That guy from the dream…_ Issei mused to himself, glancing at Yuuto in concern. Somewhat surprisingly, it didn't get a rise out of the blond knight.

"We believe that a few stray exorcists are in league with the Fallen Angels in this town. Several of our sources believe that Valper might have a hand in all of this too." Xenovia explained, the words spoken immediately disarming Kiba. It would seem that the revenge he sought would be handled two fold now.

"I see. Then I truly have no reason to complain." Kiba sighed, nodding in acceptance. "I am fully willing to cooperate with you, then. All I ask is for the chance to destroy the blades and, if the chance presents itself, deal the killing blow to to Valper myself."

"I have no problem with such an arrangement. You may destroy one of the three blades. If they happen to be together and it seems impossible, you may dispose of all three." Bruno agreed, reaching a hand out for Kiba to shake. The blond knight hesitated for only a moment, but accepted the offered hand. Josuke and Issei let out a breath of relief, glad that they were able to get the result that they wanted.

"And so doth the alliance of Devils, exorcists, and Stand users begin!" Irina cheered with a giggle, putting her hands together and looking up at the sky. "Please, oh Lord, give thy blessing to our mission and those who would help us carry it out!"

"Agh!" Issei and Kiba grunted in pain, holding their heads as they felt a sharp pang from her words. "Save your blessings! It just hurts us!" Issei complained, Irina blinking as a bead of sweat formed on her cheek.

"S-sorry, force of habit…" She giggled sheepishly, earning a sigh from Bruno. Looking up, Irina noticed that Josuke was looking around the restaurant in question. "What's up?"

"... When you gave that blessing, I coulda swore I heard Koneko-chan's voice…" Josuke muttered before standing from his seat. Those seated at the table watched him as he walked between the booths before stopping, the tall teen blinking as he found his target. Koneko was sitting there with a slightly embarrassed look on her face, the white haired Devil averting her eyes from him. "I-it was you! What are you doing here?!"

"Guess I'm caught…" Koneko sighed, turning her gaze back up to Josuke. "After Kiba left, I was worried. I went looking for him after my contract was over. When I found him, I saw you all in the window. I thought it was suspicious so I was listening in." Peeking past him at the table, she sent a small albeit cute glare up at Josuke. "I see you were keeping secrets from us."

"Uh… well, you see…" Josuke mumbled, rubbing the back of his head as he struggled to find a decent reason for why they kept it secret.

"It's okay. I understand why you all did it." Koneko shook her head, her words allowing Josuke to relax a bit. Koneko stood from her seat and walked over to the table with Josuke behind her, the white haired Devil standing in front of Kiba.

"K-Koneko-chan…" Kiba muttered, looking at the white haired girl in concern. Koneko was silent, allowing him to say what he'd like. "I'm… sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't want you or president involved. I didn't even want Issei-kun or the others to get involved but… they convinced me otherwise…" He chuckled, offering an apologetic smile.

"Its okay. So long as I'm allowed to help, I won't say anything to president." Koneko declared, causing her friends to widen their eyes in surprise. "I'd be worried about you guys if I didn't. I want to help."

"Koneko-chan…" Kiba muttered, a heartfelt smile spreading across his face as he looked at the petite Devil in front of him. It was no exaggeration to say that like Josuke and Asia, Kiba would very much consider Koneko to be like his own little sister. "I guess it can't be helped. Thank you, Koneko-chan."

"Alright! Looks like we've got even more help, huh?" Issei chuckled, offering a tankful grin to Koneko.

"We'll be countin' on ya, Koneko-chan!" Okuyasu laughed, offering a dumb grin of his own in appreciation.

"Welcome to the team." Josuke smiled, reaching a hand out to rub her head. Koneko immediately stopped that short, slapping his hand away as she gave him a pouty glare that made him blink in confusion.

"In exchange for helping, you have to stop treating me like that." Koneko huffed, crossing her arms and turning her head away from Josuke to conceal her mild fluster from him.

"W-what? What do you-"

"I hate to break up this moment, but there is something I would like to happen to make this alliance official." Bruno spoke, causing the group to silence as they turned to the exorcist in question. "I don't want there to be any problems in the future while we're out hunting for the blades. So before we go, I request that Okuyasu Nijimura and Xenovia to shake hands and put their petty clash behind them."

"Huh?" The Stand user and exorcist in question blinked before looking at one another. The two immediately glared before turning away from one another with a huff. "That doesn't seem necessary." Xenovia complained, fixing Bruno with a glare.

"It is. If you two can't cooperate in the field when a battle inevitably breaks out, then I can't imagine our alliance will amount to much. I need you to set aside your pride and make this work, Xenovia." Bruno retorted, unphased by her glare as he met her eyes.

"I don't gotta worry about her out there. I'll take care of myself and she can do the same." Okuyasu huffed out indignantly, childishly keeping his body positioned away from the three.

"Come on, Okuyasu. We want this to work so that we can get the Excalibur blade." Issei said, hoping to make the punk teen see reason.

"Remember, this is for Kiba. We're not doing this for some kicks. Just let it go and try to get along." Josuke reminded him, crossing his arms as he waited for Okuyasu to make his decision. The punk teen's posture slackened a bit, their reason for doing this quickly disarming him as he looked over at Kiba.

"I understand that she said some rather terrible things, but… this is important to me. Please, Okuyasu." Kiba said, Okuyasu's shoulders slumping as he was finally convinced.

Looking back at Xenovia, Okuyasu stuck out his bottom lip before slowly reaching a hand out, the blue haired exorcist raising a brow in surprise. "Kiba's my pal. I'm still pissed as shit about what you said, but… I'm willin' to forget it for now if you are."

Xenovia was silent, her eyes falling on his hand before drifting toward her partners. Bruno gave a glare that ordered her to do the same while Irina looked more pleading, wanting her friend to commit to the truce. Xenovia took a deep breath before turning back to Okuyasu, reaching a hand out and shaking his. "Agreed. I will not allow our… disagreement to get in the way of our alliance."

A collective breath of relief echoed around the table, Irina jumping up from her seat with her arms in the air. "Yay~! Now we can all be friends!" She laughed, running up and hugging Xenovia as she giggled.

"That's pushing it." Okuyasu and Xenovia blanched, the two quickly dropping the handshake and averting their eyes from each other again.

"See? You're even agreeing now!"

"I suppose that was the best result I could ask for." Bruno sighed before looking up at a nearby waiter. "Considering that we've only been ordering drinks until this point, perhaps ordering dinner could act as our 'celebration' of the alliance."

"Yay~! We were talking so long, I didn't think we'd get to eat!" Irina cheered as she quickly returned to her seat.

"Not the most ideal team, but I guess it could be worse." Josuke chuckled as he reached for a chair at an empty table and sat it next to him, giving Koneko a seat to join them now.

"I really do owe you all a great deal." Kiba said, his friends turning their attention to him as he gave a warm smile. "Thank you for convincing me to trust in you all."

"Hey, that's what pals are for, right?" Okuyasu laughed, reaching over and throwing Kiba in a friendly headlock. The night from that point on continued with greater levity than the day had started out with. They laughed and ate and enjoyed themselves until both groups retired for the night and headed home to get their rest. As tomorrow would be the beginning of their true challenge.

 **To be continued…**

 **Aaaand there's the chapter! Sorry that it's been a bit, kind of been facing a small problem of 'which story should I focus on next? This one or this one?' the past two weeks after completing a chapter for another story. The price to be paid for having several stories, huh?**

 **Sorry about the conclusion of the Xenovia and Okuyasu fight if you some of you found it anti-climatic. Part of me wanted Okuyasu to win, but part of me also thought that it would only make things far more difficult to get along if he either of them had a clear victory. Plus I thought it'd be kinda funny to end it that way lol.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Please leave a review, a follow and a favorite for me if you'd be so kind. And hey, if you haven't already, check out the TVtropes page made for this story by a kind fan and maybe even add a little something to it! It's really cool to see what people put up for it!**


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